Taboo
by nolifer
Summary: Kenshin is a teacher. Kaoru is a student. My version of a forbidden romance. (AU - modern times)
1. Chapter 1

******THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO RYUUNIJI! Thank you for always being my number one fan.**

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Thanks for dropping in to read my story.

**For the readers who read this story previously, I made some significant changes because I thought that everything was being rushed. Hopefully it's not disappointing o.O **

**UPDATE 2013: WOW! It's been nine years when I first started this story (since 2004)! I made some serious adjustments, including character switching, omitting and name changing, and plot twists. ****I tried to incorporate more of the Rurouni Kenshin cast rather than using my OCs.** Also, I changed the school system to be more accurate to Japanese culture regarding style and events, but the semester system is still Americanized (otherwise my story would have to be completely re-written. Ain't nobody got time fo' dat.). **Because of this I took down the older story and am re-posting this new (and hopefully improved) version. The prior reviews are no longer relevant, so I didn't think it was fair to keep them.**

Here's a little background info so as not to confuse anyone about the setting: This alternate universe story is in modern times and is supposedly in Japan. However, many of the things in the story will be Americanized (i.e. school system, food, money, fictional street names, etc. . . .). Also, the characters are slightly out of character. I tweaked them towards my preferences ^^ I Hope it's not confusing or contradicting. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** The author of this story does not own Rurouni Kenshin. (Do we still have to write these? Doesn't _fan_fiction imply that we're not the original writers? Anywho . . .)

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**August 29**

Café Tae was always busy during meal times, especially lunch. Summer was almost over, but the insufferable heat still lingered, causing an overflow of customers to buy iced lattes and fruit smoothies from the trendy yet cozy café. The room was noisy with people chatting and laughing, machines whirring and blending, and soft French music playing in the background.

Kaoru winded through the crowded room with ease, picking up empty cups and plates from tables while balancing two trays on one arm. After unloading the dirty dishes, she took the orders from the new tables and returned to the back. She handed a young male worker a piece of paper. His white t-shirt did not conceal several of the tattoos on his arms nor did his short blonde hair cover the piercings in his ears. "Here Masaaki, that's the next order."

"Got it," he said, not taking his eyes off the drink he was making.

Just then, a tall man with equally tall blonde hair busted through doors, swerving around customers to get behind the counter. He grabbed an apron and hastily tied it on.

"You're late, Chou!" Kaoru declared happily as she was loading her tray for the next table. "Ice cap, blended, no cream, large," she quickly added.

"Yeah, I know," he said with a grin, referring to his tardiness. He began making the ordered drink. "Where's Tae?"

"Making sandwiches in the back," Kaoru said over her shoulder.

Masaaki placed some drinks on the bar for Kaoru to pick up. He turned to Chou. "So, why were you late?" He was smiling wickedly as if he already knew the answer.

"Yes, why were you late?"

Chou turned around to see Tae with her hands on her hips. She was wearing a summer dress with a red apron over it. A white bandana held up her brown hair. He hurried to her side, grabbed her head, and smothered her cheek with kisses. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said in between kisses with a baby-like voice.

"Gross," she muttered, pushing him away from her. She glared at his apologetic yet cocky face. "I would fire you if you weren't so good at making drinks. And your apron's on backwards."

"You're the best, Tae!" Chou said, shoving her face in his chest by his so-called hug.

"Try not to be late again," Tae demanded as she pointed her finger at him. "And stop eating all the food. You too!" She directed her fury to Masaaki.

Masaaki gave her his best puppy eyes. "But we get so hungry."

"Then pay!" She stormed off to the back to make more sandwiches.

Kaoru laughed at this not-so-uncommon scene and returned to her duties. The blue-eyed waitress was fast and efficient. She was also constantly smiling, which made her already attractive appearance even prettier. She was a favorite among many of the customers, especially to the red-haired man who just walked in. His amethyst eyes scanned the room and spotted the busy server. Smiling, he found a seat in the corner of the café and waited patiently for Kaoru to notice him.

But she already did. Kaoru had seen him just as he walked through the door. To her he wasn't hard to miss. His hair was tied in a low ponytail and he wore a plain black t-shirt that subtly revealed the muscles in his chest and upper arms. His khaki shorts reached just above his knees and his feet sported tan leather flip-flops. She thought he resembled a Greek god.

The table Kaoru was standing in front of was taking their sweet time to order. She glanced over at Kenshin who was just sitting there, not doing anything. He was hard to read, but Kaoru didn't want to risk the chance of him getting bored or impatient and leaving. She was about to grind her teeth to dust when the group finally declared that they were ready. Beaming an instant smile, she quickly jotted down their order, grabbed their menus and thanked them. _Must. Get. To Kenshin._ As she was making a beeline to his table, another customer raised her hand to get her attention.

"Excuse me?"

'WHY?' she wanted to shout. Instead she spoke saccharine-sweet. "Yes? Is everything alright?"

"Actually, I asked for hot jasmine tea, not iced jasmine tea."

"I'm sorry about that," Kaoru said genuinely, "I'll get you a hot tea right away." _Why would you drink hot tea on a hot day?_ She placed the drink on her tray and zoomed over to Kenshin, suddenly slowing down when she was within his viewing distance. Taking a deep breath, Kaoru walked toward his table as casually as possible and smiled at him when they made eye contact. "Hi Ken-"

She tripped.

Kaoru's upper body slammed against his table. To her surprise, she was still holding the tray. Even more surprising was that the drink on the tray was all over Kenshin. Blue eyes wide with fear slowly looked up to see his expression. It looked like stone. Kaoru bolted straight up and started apologizing. "I'm so sorry, Kenshin! I'm so sorry! Here are some napkins. Oh, how could I be so clumsy? Are you okay? I'm so sorry."

Expressionless, Kenshin righted the glass that had spilled onto his lap. He used the offered napkins to somewhat absorb the tea from his clothes. He let out a small sigh of disappointment before saying, "I'm not okay."

Kaoru could have died right there. The man that she had been secretly crushing on for weeks was not okay. With her. "Um," her voice wobbled, "can I get you a drink on the house?"

"No."

Her heart sank. "How about a sandwich? On the house, of course." She was beginning to panic.

"No."

Kaoru's mind raced to think of a solution that would prevent Kenshin from banning the café from his life. "How about a lunch combo special free for one week? Packed with meat! And an extra pickle! That one will be on me. The lunch, I mean, not just the pickle. I'll even pay to get your clothes cleaned!"

Kenshin shook his head. "I don't come in for lunch that often, and these clothes don't need to be dry cleaned."

Kaoru was out of ideas. Her tone sounded defeated as she asked, "I'm really sorry. What do you want me to do?"

"Go out with me."

Her head snapped up. "What?"

He repeated himself.

Kaoru stood completely still. She didn't dare to breathe lest she wake up from this dream. Maybe if she didn't interfere, her dream self would accept the date, marry Kenshin, and live happily ever after. She was silent for so long that Kenshin got out of his seat and gently shook her shoulder. "Kaoru? What's wrong?" Her head turned to look at him but she didn't say anything. His brows furrowed with worry. "I thought maybe this was a good opportunity to ask you out. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm fine, see? Are you okay?" Kenshin swallowed nervously. "Is it a no then? Ow!"

Kaoru had suddenly hit the side of his head with her tray. "Baka! That's your way of asking me on a date?"

"Well, I –"

"You've been checking me out for six weeks, and making me nervous and upset and _angry_ is your idea of romanticism? I was about to cry!"

"But you – "

"The answer is yes, Kenshin." Her eyes were on fire. "Not because I owe you for that drink that spilled rightfully all over your crotch, and not because I think you're the hottest man alive – don't you start smiling – but because if I say no, it might take you a whole _year_ to ask me out again, and I just might be a grandma by then!" Kaoru noticed that Kenshin's hand had frozen in place while rubbing the bump on his head. In fact, everyone was frozen and was waiting to hear what she would say next. She then processed how ungraceful and illogical her response was. On top of that she had yelled it. Kaoru feigned composure and acted as though thirty pairs of eyes were not staring at her. As she turned towards the kitchen, she mumbled, "I'm going to go stick my head in the oven now."

Kenshin grabbed her wrist. Kaoru looked at him. He smiled. "So it's a yes."

"Yes," she managed to whisper.

"Great. Are you free this Friday night?"

Kaoru nodded.

"I'll meet you Friday by eight at Kurosawa Park."

She nodded again.

"Perfect. See you Friday."

"Friday." Her voice was thick in response. She watched the man of her dreams walk out of the café looking ever–so-cool, minus that fact that it looked like he just wet his pants. Kaoru laughed at the absurdity of the situation. She began walking back to the kitchen, day dreaming of what Friday was going to be like.

"Uh, excuse me?"

"Yes?" She couldn't help but smile now.

"My jasmine tea?"

Kaoru snapped out of it. "Right! I'll be back!"


	2. Chapter 2

**August 31**

She was late.

Kenshin sat down on the park bench. It was warm from being heated by the summer sun all day. He could see his condominium from here. It had been a year and three months since he moved to the city and he now considered himself adapted. He had a new job, new life style, new future . . . there wasn't a better time to start looking for someone to settle down with, and no better person to start with than Kamiya Kaoru. God, but she could do things to his imagination. She was beautiful, no doubt, but she was also kind, positive, and unabashedly innocent. To him she was truly refreshing, not using her looks for deceit and not pretending to be cute and naïve. What you see is what you get with Kaoru, and he wouldn't have it any other way. His toe was making circles in the dirt, and he realized that he was nervous. _Where is she?_

Kenshin looked up and forgot how to breathe.

Kaoru was walking towards him, waving when she saw him. She was wearing a white strappy summer dress that came up to her knees. Her feet adorned a pair of skinny heels which helped to emphasize her long legs, perfect for an evening out. What really caught Kenshin off guard was that her hair was down. It was long and shiny, and floated around her face with every step she took. He exhaled.

"Sorry I'm late, Kenshin. Thanks for waiting."

"Don't worry about it. You look great, by the way."

Kaoru blushed. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." She admired the way his outfit showed off his summer tan. He was wearing long, brown slim-cut shorts with an off-white casual button down shirt. The top two buttons were undone and the sleeves were haphazardly rolled up to his elbows. His grey high-top sneakers completed his casual ensemble.

They walked side by side in silence. Kaoru was waiting for him to tell her where they were going for their date. She looked at him and smiled as a catalyst for his explanation. He smiled back. They continued walking slowly, Kenshin with his hands behind his back, Kaoru with her hands in front. _Okay, this isn't awkward_. "So," she finally said, "what are we going to do tonight?"

"I thought we should take advantage of the last days of summer and do something outdoors."

"Oh! That sounds good. Where are we going?"

"Do you want me to tell you, or would you like it to be a surprise?"

"Surprise! No, tell me. No, wait! I want to be surprised." Her excitement was infectious.

Kenshin laughed. "Alright, it'll be a surprise. It's not too far from here, so the walk shouldn't be that long."

After a while Kaoru noticed that they were walking towards the ocean. They weren't far and she could already smell the salty sea air. Not long after she could hear laughter and shouting coming from a central area. Then she realized where they were going.

"It's the Matsuri festival!" Kaoru exclaimed. "I haven't been to a festival in a long time."

"Do you like festivals?"

"I love them!"

"Good. This one should be interesting. There are a lot of Westerners who participate at this particular location, so this won't be your typical summer festival. This is my first time going too, but I heard it's a lot of fun."

Paper lanterns lined the small street where the festival was taken place. It was crowded with a fair mix of tourists and locals. The scent of takoyaki, yakisoba, and grilled chicken wafted through the air. The pair walked around each stand, looking to see what was interesting or unusual. Kenshin noticed his date was eyeing some freshly made takoyaki. He made eye contact with the vendor and said, "Two, please."

Kaoru opened her clutch to pay but was stopped by Kenshin's hand. She looked up at him. He was shaking his head as he stated, "You won't be needing this tonight."

"Are you sure? You might regret it," she smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

His eyes flickered up and down her perfect form. The corner of his mouth tipped up. "I don't think so."

_Oh boy._ How did he do that? Give her one look and she melted like snow on a frying pan. She watched him grab the takoyaki and offer her one skewer. Her fingers brushed against his as she took it from him. "Thank you," she said before taking a bite. "Mmm! It's delicious! This is better than any other one I've had in my life. Don't you think so?"

"It's very good."

She took her last bite. "Perfect amount of seasoning and not too greasy."

Kenshin tossed their skewers. "Want to get something else?"

"Sure, but not too much. I'm not that hungry."

They went to another food stand and ate yakisoba. Then to another stand to have okonomiyaki. Then to one more stand to sample some dango. Kaoru would have eaten more, but she didn't want Kenshin to think she was a human pig, nor did she want to spend all his money. On the contrary, Kenshin enjoyed watching her eat. She had a true appreciation for food. Her eyes lit up every time she took her first bite of something and she praised how good it was while she ate it. A fifty cent hamburger would feel like a filet mignon by the time she was done with it. Kenshin stood from the bench where they were eating. "Alright, I'll be right back. Just going to get us drinks."

"Well, thank you kindly."

Not long after Kenshin returned with two plastic cups. He passed her one and was about to take a big thirst-quenching gulp, when Kaoru exclaimed, "Wait! We have to make a toast."

The red head looked confused. "A toast?"

Kaoru raised her cup. "Here's to our first date: May we continue to have good luck with good food."

Kenshin then raised his cup. "And may I be so lucky to have a second date." He gently tapped his cup against hers, keeping eye contact as he did so.

Kaoru felt like she was melting in his lavender gaze. _He's the lucky one? On the contrary!_ But she dared not let him know it (something her mother taught her), and tried to restrain from fanning herself from the obvious attraction he conveyed with his eyes. So she cooled herself with a giant gulp of her drink; which she spewed all over Kenshin.

He had apparently bought her beer.

Blue eyes were wide with mortification. She just spat all over the face and shirt of the man of her dreams. This was it. This was defining moment of how she would become a spinster. Kaoru was momentarily frozen as Kenshin began to wipe his face. Then she snapped out of it. "Kenshin, I'm so sorry." With shaking hands, she grabbed some napkins and blotted at his shirt. "I'm really sorry. I don't know why I keep spilling things on you. I'm so sorry. You can take me home if you want," she said, very upset with herself.

"Oh? What are these un-lady-like thoughts?" He grinned with amusement when blue eyes looked up at him in confusion. "Planning on making it up to me back at my place?"

Kaoru's mouth went dry. "No, I meant house – my home – not your house, er, home. You take me back to _my _home . . . is what I meant."

"Ah, so you want to make it up to me at _your_ place. I like that idea better."

"Baka!" She thumped his chest. "You know what I meant! I take back my apology!"

"You can't take it back."

"I can, and I don't regret anything that happened."

He smirked. "Oh no?" Kenshin suddenly grabbed Kaoru and crushed her body to his. Her arms were trapped within his tight embrace. "Soon we'll be even."

Kaoru very faintly felt the droplets of beer from his shirt transfer to her dress. "No!" she exclaimed and tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but his arms were very strong, and her attempts were weakened from her laughter.

Kenshin was having so much fun teasing his captive. He wanted to elicit a stronger reaction so he began to rub his face all over hers, even though the beer had already been wiped off. Resistance was futile as he nuzzled cheek and chin against hers. Shrieks from her pursed lips made him laugh even harder, and at one point he even playfully nipped her jawline with his teeth as he growled. He finally let her push herself away from him, and they laughed and caught their breath.

"Wanna play some games?" asked the redhead when they finished eating.

"Sure!"

The first game they played involved throwing a baseball at a target. Five balls had to be thrown and hit the target in order to win a prize. Kenshin was pretty good, hitting the target with every throw. Kaoru also hit a target. Unfortunately it was the one beside hers. She pouted. "I didn't think I sucked that much." Kenshin tugged her elbow towards him. He told her to pick a doll. Her eyes lit up again. "Really?" She scanned the prizes and saw a pair of dogs with scarves. She pointed to them. "Can I have those dolls? The little dogs. Yes, both of them."

"Sorry," the worker behind the booth said, "you can only pick one."

"Oh. I'll take the white one then." The worker handed her the doll and she smiled. However, she wanted both. She opened her clutch to play another round.

"What are you doing?" Kenshin's hand covered hers again.

"She needs Gaspard."

"Who?"

"Lisa."

"Who's Lisa?"

She held up the white dog. "This is Lisa," she then pointed to the black dog on the shelf, "that is Gaspard. They're best friends and they need to be together." She said it with such sincerity Kenshin could have sworn she was talking about people she knew.

"I want that one," another girl beside them said to her boyfriend.

"Which one, baby?"

"The black dog with the blue scarf. Doesn't it look just like my puppy?"

"I guess. I'll get it for you in a sec."

Kaoru pushed Kenshin aside. "Wait!" she pleaded to the other couple. "Please don't get that doll. I have the matching one and I'm just about to play for it."

The boyfriend shrugged. "Whoever wins first gets it. Sorry."

Kaoru hoped that he would miss one target and she would get all five hits, but then she remembered her worm of an arm. She turned to sulk at Kenshin. He was collecting five balls from a worker while stuffing his wallet back in his pocket. Her face broke out into a smile. "Quick, Kenshin, he already threw his first ball."

Kenshin gave her a wicked smile. "Will you give me a kiss if I win?"

"No," she declared incredulously, but she couldn't keep from grinning. The boyfriend threw the third ball. "Fine! But only on the cheek."

"Hmm . . . ."

"Please hurry!"

"Alright."

Kaoru saw the boyfriend throw his fourth ball and was about to accept defeat, when Kenshin suddenly threw all five balls, one after the other, with lightning speed. Everyone who saw stopped what they were doing and dropped their jaws. That speed and that accuracy were inhuman. Kenshin causally told the worker which doll he wanted and handed it to a speechless Kaoru. She blinked a few times and asked, "Are you a pitcher? Or a machine?"

Kenshin laughed and shook his head.

Kaoru looked down at the dolls. They were so cute. "Thank you, Kenshin. That was really sweet of you." She felt something tug on her dress. She looked down to see a little girl with big brown eyes. "Hi," she greeted, slightly surprised.

The girl pointed to the dolls. "Can I have it?"

"Um," she looked at the dolls, then at Kenshin, then back at the girl. "Well, you see, this kind man right here won them for me, so they mean a lot to me right now."

"Please?" Brown eyes seemed to have increased in size. "Please?"

How could she say no? Kaoru bent down to be at eye-level with the girl. "Well, I guess we'll just have to ask them if they want to go." One doll in each hand, she turned them towards her as if they were talking. "Lisa, Gaspard, I want you to meet . . ."

"Akiko."

"Akiko-san. Do you guys want to stay with me or do you want to go with her?" She moved the black doll's head. "We want to go with the pretty girl," she mimicked its voice. Then she did the other doll. "Yes, there is a lot more for us to see at her house. But," Kaoru turned the doll towards the little girl. "Will you take care of us?"

The girl became shy and nodded her head with glee.

"And love us?"

She nodded again.

"And make us cookies and clothes and do all our homework?"

She giggled and nodded once more.

"Okay then," Kaoru was now speaking for herself, "it looks like they want to go with you. Here," she handed the girl the dolls, "take good care of them."

"I will." The little girl smiled wide. "Thank you." She walked away talking to the dolls, imitating the way Kaoru was talking to them.

Kaoru stood and sighed. _At least they're together._ She turned to Kenshin and they began to walk. He was giving her a look. "What?"

"And you say I'm sweet."

"I know, I'm sorry. She just looked so cute and helpless; I didn't know how to say no."

"That's quite alright." He thought for a moment then said, "You know, Kaoru, you're something else."

"Something good, I hope."

His amethyst eyes met hers. "Something very, very good." He stood there, giving her another look.

"What?"

"I'm waiting."

"For what?"

"My kiss."

Her stomach flipped. "Oh. You remembered?"

"Yes. But you have to make it worth it. After all, you gave away my present."

She rolled her eyes. "It's just a kiss on the cheek. How do I make it worth it?"

He took a step closer to her. "Make it linger and make it sweet." He bent to whisper in her ear. "Make me wish your lips were on mine." Kenshin was satisfied the speechless look she wore on her face.

Kaoru looked side to side. "Here?"

"Sure."

"Maybe we can go somewhere more private."

"Why? Planning on doing something more?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"No! Fine, let's do it right here."

Kenshin crossed his arms and smiled. "I'm ready when you are."

Kaoru swallowed. "Okay, close your eyes." He did so. _And get that smile off your face. Why am I the only one anxious here? _"Okay," she said warily, nervous as hell, "here I come." She put both hands on either side of his face and leaned in towards him. She noticed there was a faint scar on his cheek forming an x. Delicate long fingers traced over the lines. He stiffened as she did so, which led her to believe that he was a little self conscious about it. To her, the scar was utterly sexy. Reaching on her toes, her nose brushed his cheek first and felt his breath catch. _So I can affect him too, eh?_ This thought gave her more courage. She let her parted lips barely touch his cheek and let out a small sigh. Then she slowly pressed her lips against his skin and slowly pulled back. She quickly took a step back to put some space between them. "How'd I do?"

Kenshin shrugged. "Not bad."

"Did I make you . . . do you want to, I mean, you know, kiss me now?"

_Hell yes_. He pretended to be indifferent. "Can't really tell. You're going to have to kiss the other side for me to know."

She scoffed a laugh. "Don't think I'm falling for that."

"Gotta give a man some credit for trying."

They continued walking. As they were chatting, they approached a shaved ice booth. The dessert contained snow-like ice topped with fresh fruit and a splash of condensed milk. The night air was still warm and the festival still crowded. It seemed only appropriate to split one with a date. After ordering one shaved ice, they found a vacant picnic bench to occupy. Kaoru sat with her legs crossed, an elbow on the table and her chin resting in her palm. Kenshin watched Kaoru take the first bite before saying, "I have something to admit."

"What's that?'

"I tripped you. On purpose."

"What? When?"

"A couple of days ago at the café."

"You tripped me? How?"

"I just stuck my foot out. It was really simple."

"Unbelievable," Kaoru said jokingly, "the lengths men will go out of desperation."

"It's actually quite sad," Kenshin agreed. He laughed. "Believe it or not, I'm a little shy."

"No," she feigned surprise. "I couldn't tell. I mean, it only took you – how many weeks - to ask me out?"

"Shut up."

Kaoru giggled. "Alright, I'll admit something."

"Okay." He noticed that the strap of her dress slid off her shoulder.

She paused. "This is my first date."

Kenshin eyed her skeptically. "Surely not."

"And that was my first beer."

"Now _that_ I believe."

Kaoru pulled the strap back in place as she was talking. "Well, I mean a _real_ date. Not with those silly high school boys but with a . . . man."

"Damn right."

"My dates were pretty lame."

"They're still dates."

"Please. Would you call studying in the library a date?"

"Depends on who you're studying in which part of the library."

It wasn't what he said but the way he said it that made Kaoru's face heat and her throat dry. She shoveled the shaved ice into her mouth to remedy both problems. She only created a third. Her eyes clenched, her nose crumpled, and her hand flew immediately to her head. Kenshin laughed. "Were you trying to freeze your brain?"

Kaoru groaned. "Probably." When she recovered, she said, "I'm sorry, you must think I'm a little kid." Her strap fell again.

"No." This time Kenshin reached over to pull up her strap, but he let his fingers glide slowly over her silky shoulder as he did so. "I think you're beautiful."

_Oh boy._ His touch was electrifying. The butterflies in Kaoru's stomach increased tenfold and she couldn't quite look at him. She needed to distract herself. "Music," she randomly sputtered.

"What?"

"I hear music. Where's it coming from?" She stood, looking for the source.

Kenshin glanced over his shoulder. "That's the pier. Around this time the Westerners like to set up some music and dancing over there."

"Sounds like fun."

"Wanna check it out?"

"Yeah!"

Kenshin threw out their melted ice and they walked over to the pier. One couldn't miss it. The pier was twinkling with strung up Christmas lights and paper lanterns. There was a live small band playing songs from the fifties. It was crowded. Half of the people were dancing; couples, friends, and families. The other half were onlookers, mainly singles or couples who were too shy to dance but wanted to.

"How pretty!" Kaoru's face lit with excitement when they reached the pier. Kenshin found an open spot along the pier rail and leaned against it. He watched Kaoru watching the people. She carried an air of confidence that he was drawn to, yet he was sure she didn't know how attractive she was. Though she was of average height, her legs were long and slim. The dress she was wearing gave some justice to her toned form. It displayed her curves nicely and was cut a little low in the front and even lower in the back. God, she had a great back. His thoughts turned lustful when he began to picture her lips, her hips and her - he had to stop himself. _Take it easy, take it slow._ She wasn't the kind of girl to fuck and leave. Not that he was looking for that, not anymore anyway, but he didn't want her to think he was either. Kaoru turned to smile at him and told him that dancing looked fun.

"Do like to dance?" he asked.

"Well, I've never really –"

Kenshin whisked her to the dance floor before she could utter a protest. With one hand on her waist and the other hand holding her hand, Kenshin swept Kaoru off to a dance all their own. They were moving and spinning so fast Kaoru could barely see what was going on, so she kept her eyes on her date. She couldn't stop laughing. The pair romped all around the floor, weaving through other couples and not staying on beat whatsoever.

"I don't think we're doing this right," Kaoru managed to say in between laughs.

"Sure we are."

"Then why are people staring at us?"

Kenshin spun her out and spun himself in. "'Cause we just look that good!" He pushed her over to do a dip, but it was so rushed and unexpected Kaoru's head bumped into another couple. They spewed out apologies as best as they could while giggling and danced away from them. They were jumping up and down across the floor, but not quite at the same time, making their dance even more visually awkward. Kenshin knew they must have looked like lunatics but he didn't care. He was dancing with the prettiest girl at the festival.

The song ended and the band immediately played a mellow tune. More couples joined the dance floor and began swaying to the music. Kaoru felt that it was only natural to move in to Kenshin's arms again for a second dance. His right hand moved to her lower back and pulled her in close. His left hand took her right hand and held it over his heart. She could feel it beating strong and fast. Everything felt very familiar, so normal yet so new. Kaoru was so comfortable with this man, she thought that maybe they knew each other in some past life. Her face was nestled in the crook of his neck. She inhaled deeply and sighed. The subtle scent of his soap and sea water mingled. Their feet were in perfect rhythm with each other's. Neither of them was thinking anything. Kenshin's hand slowly stroked her back, enjoying the feel of her body so close to his. He felt Kaoru pull back slightly and lifted her head to look at him. Mesmerized by the color of her eyes, he stared into them and let the world fade around him. It was only him, her, and the soft notes of a clarinet.

"Hello," he heard Kaoru say.

"Hi," he returned with a low voice. "I'm having a great time with you, Kaoru."

"Me too."

"I can't remember the last time I had this much fun with someone. Not sure I ever have."

"Uh huh. And I suppose you never felt this way with anyone, and it was love at first sight when you saw me walking in the park today." Kaoru jested, ridding any relations with naiveté.

"Actually, it was a few months ago when I first started going to Café Tae." Kenshin saw that she waited for him to show signs of sarcasm, but he wasn't joking. "Like I said, I'm shy." He really could not think of a time he felt this open and free and happy. Not that he wanted to think of anyone else. How could he when he had the most beautiful woman in his arms? Kenshin's gaze drifted lower and settled on her lips. They were curved upwards in a content smile. He wondered if her lips were as soft as they looked. He wondered what her tongue would feel like. He wondered if her response would be passionate or shy. He just had to find out.

Kaoru knew this look. It was the I-want-to-kiss-you look that she received from some of boys she went out with. But Kenshin was doing it much, much better. His look was sure, full of need and knowing what he wanted. Her heart pounded as he leaned his head down to hers. She tilted her head up and closed her eyes.

Fireworks startled them both, causing them to pull back. Everyone stopped what they were doing and oohed and aahed at the show. Kaoru was a little embarrassed from their moment of incomplete intimacy and tried to focus on the fireworks. She liked the booming sound that shook her insides and the fires that looked like gold rain. Who was she kidding? She kept thinking that Kenshin was going to suddenly take her in his arms and kiss her. When the show ended, she realized that wasn't going to happen and sighed in disappointment. _Oh well. It's probably better this way anyway. _She made a small yawn that Kenshin noticed. It was past midnight. He offered to walk her home. She politely declined. He insisted. She insisted back. He proved to be quite adamant and ended up taking the train with her. They held hands the entire ride. He walked Kaoru to her apartment door.

"Kenshin, I had a lot of fun tonight. Thanks for taking me out."

"The pleasure was all mine." He laced his fingers through hers as he held both her hands behind her, bringing his body close to hers. "Can I kiss you goodnight?"

"I'd like that," she admitted shyly.

The red head lowered his lips to hers.

"On our next date," she intercepted just before their lips could touch.

Shock froze him for a moment, then he smiled. _Challenge accepted._

She slipped out of his embrace and said sweetly, "Goodnight, Kenshin."

"Goodnight, Kaoru." He watched her go upstairs and went home smiling.


	3. Chapter 3

**September 3**

Excitement and agitation filled Kaoru until she thought she was going to burst. Today was the first day of school. After being home schooled for most of her life, she didn't quite know what to expect from a public high school. Especially as a senior.

Azusa High School was one of the top schools in the city. Though it was a public school, it was deemed an elite academic institution, thus an entrance exam was required to be considered for admission. If a student passed the exam, he or she would then be interviewed, and from there the Admissions Committee would decide acceptance. It was going to be a tough transition for sure, but Kaoru knew it would make her parents proud.

Kaoru heard horror stories about high school. Some said it was a journey that defined your adulthood. One wrong move and you'll have low self-esteem for the rest of your life. Others said that they studied so much that they were hospitalized for dehydration because they forgot to drink. She was warned of peer pressure, drugs, sex, and bullies. On the flip side, some people said high school was the best years of their lives. From there they made lifelong friendships, discovered themselves, and all-around had a good time.

This raven-haired girl had a plan to survive high school: stay invisible and get good grades. She also wanted to make new friends. Good friends. Lifelong friends. The idea of a boyfriend popped into her head and she smiled to herself. If things went well, Kenshin just might be the guy. He had called her last night to arrange their next date. She loved the sound of his voice. It was low, throaty, and undeniably masculine. They told each other about their day. Kaoru had gone to work and Kenshin had a haircut. When Kaoru had asked him where they would be going on their next date, he suggested the library. She had wanted to sound coy or clever in her response, but she ended mentioning something about the Dewey Decimal system.

Kaoru looked down at her schedule. She had History (and homeroom) for first period in room two seventeen. She was grateful that she came to school early because finding her way around was terribly confusing. The brown brick building was shaped like a square with a stairwell in each corner of the building. The halls looked the same from each stairwell entrance, and students could only tell where they were by looking at the room numbers above the doors. Also, there were two additional wings in the building that seemed to have hidden entrances. Of course, Kaoru's first class was in one of the wings.

While looking for her classroom, Kaoru wandered into a deserted part of the school. _This is definitely the wrong place_. Just as she was about to go down the hall, she heard someone whimper. Then a few voices. She peered around the corner and saw three girls standing over a sophomore boy. He was crouched on the floor in begging position backed up against the lockers. Kaoru thought he looked like a frightened caged rabbit. _What's going on?_ She could tell which girl was the leader of the pack. She was one of the prettiest girls Kaoru had ever seen. Her jet black hair was long and straight and parted down the middle. Her uniform blouse was cinched in the back and unbuttoned an extra button in the front so that her well-proportioned body would be more obvious. Arms crossed and right foot forward, she said to the boy, "Well? What are you going to do about my shoes?"

"I don't know." His voice cracked, making his response sound even more pathetic.

"You don't _know_? I'm sure you can think of something."

"Money? I have money," he added desperately.

"How much do you got?" another girl asked.

The boy's hands shook as he fished for his wallet. He leafed through the pockets and held out a few bills. "I have seven dollars, Megumi-senpai."

"Seven dollars?" the one called Megumi suddenly yelled. Kaoru suppressed a startled gasp. "What the fuck am I supposed to do with seven dollars? Look at my shoes! They're ruined!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't think that natto-"

"Well you should have thought something before you throw that disgusting, smelly shit on my brand new shoes!"

"It was an accident," Kaoru heard him snivel.

"How am I supposed to walk around with these?" she continued, "Do you know how embarrassing this is for me?"

Kaoru watched the boy squirm and the girl fume. Her brain was telling her to walk away and mind her own business, but her feet seemed to be glued to the floor.

The boy started to speak. "Maybe I can-"

"Shut up!" Megumi interrupted. She used the solid shoe to kick the boy back against the lockers. "I'll tell you what you're going to do. You're going to sneak off campus, go to the mall, and get me a new pair of shoes. Now." He nodded, grateful that he was being let off easy. "They're Tods size 7. You're going to need three hundred dollars."

"But I don't have three hundred dollars."

"Then get it!" she snapped. "Do what you need to do and be back with my shoes before second period starts. Go."

The boy grabbed his school bag and scrambled onto his knees to leave.

"Wait," the other minion said, "Don't you think he should be embarrassed too? After all, you are going to have to go through all of first period with those shoes on."

The leader smirked. "So true." She thought for a moment, and then said, "Show me your dick."

"What?"

"Are you deaf?" she yelled. "I want you to feel the same embarrassment that I'm going to feel. Consider yourself lucky that I'm only taking a picture of your lower half and not with your face. It'll be more fun for everyone that way, like a game: 'Who Does the Little Itty Bitty Belong To?'" Her minions laughed. "Hurry up, before I change my mind about including your face."

The boy began to cry and fumbled with the button of his pants. He hesitantly unzipped his fly.

"Stop!"

Everyone turned to see a female student with long black hair tied in a high pony tail. Her hands were balled into fists and her eyes were wide with fury. One of the girls walked up to Kaoru. "You better turn around and get your ass out of here."

"No." Kaoru looked at Megumi. "Stop bullying him."

"You don't tell her what to do! Do you even know who she is, _junior_?"

"I'm a _senior_ and I don't care who you are," she directed her anger back at the leader, "you have no right to treat people this way. It's just a shoe. Just wipe it off, polish it and it'll look new again. His penis isn't going to make it look any better. Get on your feet, boy, and zip your pants back up." She sounded just as angry with him. "If you let people talk to you that way they'll treat you that way. Go to class, I'll take care of this."

"Go get my shoes," Megumi countered.

"I'm your senpai too," Kaoru said with authority, "and I'm telling you to go to class."

With his head hanging low, the boy bowed and said, "I will be back with your shoes, Megumi-senpai."

The girls watched him run out of the hall.

Megumi took a step towards Kaoru. She looked her up and down and gave her a condescending smirk. "You're new, aren't you?"

"Yes," she cautiously replied.

"What's your name?"

"Kamiya Kaoru."

Megumi patted her shoulder and walked away as she said, "Kamiya, you and I are going to become great friends." The two girls snickered and followed their leader.

Kaoru checked her cell phone to see the time. Her hands were shaking from the encounter. _So much for being invisible_. She gasped. It was five minutes before class started and she had no idea where she was. She ran down the hall and turned the corner and collided into something. Or someone. Landing on her backside, she groaned and saw another girl on the floor. Kaoru stood and offered her hand to the other girl. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." The girl took Kaoru's hand and got up. She was a short girl with jade colored eyes and long braided hair. "I wasn't looking where I was going either. Actually, I'm usually not. I'm Makimachi Misao."

"Kamiya Kaoru."

"Are you new?"

"Yeah, I am. Could you tell me how to find the B-wing?"

"That's on the other side of this building. It's kind of complicated to explain to a newbie. Why don't I take you there?" Misao offered.

"That's okay. If you could just give me some directions, I'll be fine."

"It's no problem!" the girl beamed. "Besides, we have five more minutes till school starts and I can get us there in _two._"

Kaoru thought Misao was exaggerating until she grabbed her again and began to run like lightning. The girl was weaving through crowds of students through endless halls and stairwells. Kaoru was glad that she was had such a friendly . . . guide to show her to her class; but she was slightly regretting it because there was no way that she would be able to remember how to get back due to the world being a blur.

Misao suddenly stopped. Kaoru's face nearly hit the floor but thankfully Misao's shoes blocked the fall. "Ow . . ."

Misao yanked Kaoru up by her backpack. "Oh my god, Kaoru! Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kaoru groaned, rubbing her nose. She looked at the door in front of her. "Is this it?"

"Yep! This is the beginning of the wing. Just walk down a little more and it'll be easy to find your class. I gotta go now. Good luck on your first day at Azusa High!"

"Thanks so much, Misao!" Kaoru walked down the hall and saw her classroom. She kept pinching the bridge of her nose to make sure it was in place. She grabbed the door open and walked in the classroom. Then stopped.

"Kenshin?"

The redhead looked up from his lesson plans. "Kaoru?"

Students took their seats as the bell rang.


	4. Chapter 4

Ten seconds seemed like an eternity. That was how long Kenshin and Kaoru were staring at each other in disbelief. Her uniform – a white blouse, red ribbon tie, tan double-breasted jacket, brown tartan pleated skirt, white knee socks, and black loafers – and his attire – a white dress shirt and tie with black dress pants and black shoes – was what made them realize that this nightmare was a reality. Kaoru numbly took a seat towards the back of the class. Kenshin's eyes followed her and met her sapphire stare. She looked down.

The bell rang.

Kenshin snapped out of it and said, "Good morning, class. I'm Himura-sensei and I'll be your homeroom and History teacher." He stood up and began to hand out some papers. "This is the semester's syllabus. It's pretty straight forward, but if you have any questions feel free to ask me. I'm sure the announcements will come on very soon, so I'll wait until afterwards to finish the introductions."

And as if on cue, "Good morning, Azusa High!"

Everyone looked at the TV at the front of the room.

"This is Makimachi Misao with your daily bulletin! Welcome to the first day of school! Today we will be having our welcoming assembly just after the announcements, so teachers, please have your class in the gymnasium by nine sharp. For today's lunch, our cafeteria will be serving spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread. Yummy. Don't forget to mark your calendars for club day this Friday. First year students! Remind your homeroom teachers – which is the teacher you have now – to give you our school-welcoming packet. And try not to get lost too much. That's all the announcements for today. Have a great first day everybody!"

"Alright," continued the newly cropped red head, "I do things a little differently than other homeroom teachers. Since you are with the same people all-day every-day, it's important that we try to create an open mindset and atmosphere as much as we can. I want us to learn how to be with any type of personality. I'm not asking you to be best friends, but at least be respectful. In front of you, you'll find a blank card. Write your full name on it, and I'll distribute the cards randomly every morning."

The class buzzed with excitement over this unique seating arrangement.

He waited until they were quiet. "You'll be able to find the cleaning schedule and duties by the door, and I'll also have a calendar of events up soon (with the help of a teacher's aide). Regarding who that person will be-"

Several girls shot up their hands.

"-we'll have a vote at the end of the week. I know that this year will be a stressful one, but as your homeroom teacher, I'll do my best to make sure you'll be able to end the year with success. Please feel free to approach me with any issues, feedback, or triumphs. I'll make myself available here every lunch. Any questions about homeroom?"

Nobody said anything.

"Good. I'll take role then."

_Wait, I have a question_, Kaoru thought as he began to call the names of students. _Are you really Kenshin? The man who's been coming to Café Tae almost every day for the past three months? The man I've flirted shamelessly with and who finally asked me out? The man I've dreamt about every night since I met him?_ _You're my homeroom teacher?_

"Kamiya Kaoru?"

She looked up. Kenshin's eyes were on her, waiting for her to acknowledge him. "Here," she said, barely above a whisper. He continued down the list. He looked so different to her. She was used to his casual clothes and long hair, not the professional attire and short hair he had now. The haircut actually suited him well. There was a slight wave to his hair now that it was shorter. His bangs hit just above his nose while the back barely grazed the base of his neck. It didn't help that she wanted to run her fingers through his red locks and – _Cut it out! _She couldn't believe how . . . normal he was acting. He didn't look a bit disturbed or shocked, except when she first walked in the room. It seemed like he was treating this like it was no big deal. She shook her head. It wasn't a big deal. They barely knew each other. They only went on one date. Kaoru sat straighter in her chair. Well, if Kenshin didn't care about what had happened, then neither would she.

But he did care. He was shaken to the core. It took every ounce of discipline he could conjure up from his mind and body to follow the day's lesson plan as if nothing had happened. He couldn't believe he fell for a high school student. _His_ student. And he had fallen pretty damned hard. Why hadn't he bothered to ask Kaoru her age? Why hadn't she asked what he did for a living? Kenshin glanced at the back of the classroom. Kaoru was looking straight at him. She was trying to be nonchalant, but her eyes couldn't fool him. She was angry . . . and hurt. He wanted to explain everything; but now was not the time.

Kenshin cleared his throat. "I'm sure you've all heard rumors about my grading system. Yes, I am difficult but I would like to think that I am also fair. I expect only your best work and your best behavior. Even though your best is seventy percent, that's okay as long as it is your best. I do not tolerate immaturity or irresponsibility from a senior class." He smiled to soften his words. "There will be three major exams this semester, with assignments and quizzes in between. I do not offer extra credit."

"No . . ." a boy whined.

"I do not assign group projects."

"Yes!" a girl cheered.

"Instead you will be writing research papers."

The entire class groaned.

"For this class you are not required to know specific dates because I believe that it is more important to know _what_ happened, than _when _it happened. Please feel free talk to me before or after class if you need any help. You can also email me. My email is on the syllabus. Any questions?"

A boy with long bangs raised his hand. "So we don't have to know _any_ dates?"

"Only the major ones. For example, the Bakumatsu. Does anyone know when that was?"

"A long time ago," a student said.

Kenshin smiled. "We'll be going over that subject later on in the semester. Any other questions? Great, let's go to the assembly."

Kaoru numbly walked with the sea of students towards the gym. She was still shocked from her previous discovery. How come she never asked Kenshin how old he was? She knew why. She didn't care. Well, it didn't really seem like an important factor at that time. Neither did his career; but it was oh-so important right now. Based on her earlier encounters with Kenshin, she never would have guessed that he was a teacher. _Maybe a model. _She shook her head. The scar on his cheek took away the pretty-boy look. Instead, it made him look devilishly rugged and would have made a good pirate. But perhaps he was too kind to be a pirate. _Stop thinking about him!_

The students took their assigned seats according to class. Kaoru took a seat beside a boy with a mushroom cut. He smiled at her.

"Hi. Are you new?"

Kaoru smiled back. "Yes, I am. How does everyone know that?"

He scratched the back of his head. "I'm our school president, so I practically know every face in our grade. I'm Seta Soujiro, by the way."

"Kamiya Kaoru."

"So how do you like the school so far?"

"Hey Sou!"

"Hey Souji!"

A couple of girls interrupted their conversation.

"Hey!" he greeted back and accepted the hugs they gave him. "I'm sorry," he turned his attention to her, "you were saying?"

"Oh . . . I like it." She didn't want to say anything about Kenshin.

"It was tricky trying to find homeroom, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was. I didn't expect the school to be so big."

"What school did you come from?"

"Oh, I was home schooled."

"Really? Wow. What was that like?"

"A lot different than this. I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both, though."

"Must have been tough to make friends."

"Not really. I still played with kids in my neighborhood. It's not as lonely or boring as everyone thinks."

"So what made you switch from home school to public school?"

Suddenly, someone jumped into the seat beside Soujiro. "Hey! I know you!" It was Misao. "Hey Sou! Did you meet Kaoru?"

"Yeah, we were actually just talking. When did you two meet?" He directed his question to Kaoru.

"Misao helped me find my class this morning," Kaoru answered.

"Yeah, she looked like a little lost bunny," the smaller girl giggled.

"Are you in our homeroom too?"

"Yep! I'll be late every other day because I'm part of the radio club. We do the announcements."

"I saw that." Kaoru was delighted to have her in her class.

"Good morning, and welcome," said a loud and deep voice from a microphone. "I am your principal, Hiko Seijuro, and we shall commence the Welcoming Assembly."

It was a pleasant ceremony, albeit somewhat humdrum, but to Kaoru everything was new and unfamiliar. Her blue eyes were wide with wonderment, absorbing the rows and rows of students, the small orchestra, the traditional dancers . . . and every so often would casually glance at Kenshin, who was standing on the side with the other teachers.

There were a series of speeches from a few key teachers, the dean, and finally the principal. "And so," he wrapped up with his velvety yet authoritative voice, "remember to take pride in the prestige as an Azusa High student and make your decisions accordingly."

Someone started to clap.

"Also! Remember that we may work hard here, but we also play hard too." A challenging smile was given to the sea of bright pupils.

After a moment of silence, they tried to applause.

"And don't forget! You are able to have a memorable time here, but whether or not those memories are to be cherished is solely up to you."

Silence.

"Thank you. I'm done."

Jaded, all the students just got out of their seats and headed back to their homerooms for second period. For the next three periods, Kaoru was able to sit with her newly made friends. Sitting diagonal from her was a skinny boy with large glasses and severe acne named Hanai Shota. She felt him continuously staring at her, so she decided to confront him by looking straight back at him and smiling. He immediately looked away, pretending to be busy.

Lunch couldn't come any sooner, and Kaoru, Soujiro and Misao took their bentos outside (something unusual for most students at this school). A tall jock-looking guy with wild brown hair was waiting underneath a cherry tree. "Oi!" he called and waved them over. "Who's the babe?" he asked with a wry grin when Kaoru neared.

Kaoru hated being called babe. And she hated being talked about as if she was invisible. "I'm right here," she ground out at him.

"Ah, right, where are my manners?" He hooked his arm around her neck. "So, baby, what's your na-OOMPH!"

With as much grace as she could conjure, Kaoru had uppercut his abdominals. "No touching."

"No problem," he choked out.

"This is Kamiya Kaoru!" Misao introduced to the crumpled boy on the ground, quite impressed with the new girl. "And this sad sack is Sagara Sanosuke. He's the chief editor of our school paper."

"Nice to meet you," Kaoru sweetly greeted.

"Pleasure is all mine," he replied, voice still hoarse.

The group sat on the grass, shaded by the expansive branches of the tree. The sky was clear blue without a single cloud. Perhaps summer wanted to linger a little longer. Kaoru was enjoying the company and weather so much, that she didn't notice a certain red headed teacher lean out a window watch with a heavy heart.

"Number one," Sanosuke said emphatically. They were giving her tips on surviving Azusa High. "If you want to live past forty, don't eat the cafeteria food. Ever."

"Number two," Misao said, "don't go behind the A wing after school. That's where all the losers go to hook up or hook it up, if you know what I mean."

"Number three," Soujiro said with his smile, "if the principal ever talks to you, don't breathe. His breath reeks of sake."

"Can't you just breathe through your mouth?" Kaoru asked.

"Nope," Misao interjected. "You'll be able to taste his breath, and that is debatably worse."

"What about Megumi?"

Sano shuddered. "What about her?"

"Who is she?"

"The richest, bitchiest bitch in school."

"She's notorious for being the school bully," informed the school president. "Her family donated a lot of money to this school. In fact, the entire A-wing was funded by her family. Because of that, the principal lets her get away with practically anything she wants."

"Also," this time Misao contributed, "She's the devil incarnate. When she doesn't like a student, she frames the student for doing something they didn't do and is then expelled. When she hates a student, she makes school a living hell for that person."

Kaoru eyes widened. "She can do that? Why would she do that?"

A shrug from the smaller friend. "'Cause she can."

"How?"

"That's what we can't find out," Sano said. "Megumi makes evidence if she is accusing. She leaves no evidence if she is being accused. We don't know how she does it. She's crazy. But smart. I'm part of the journalism team so I'm going to find out how she does what she does and print it all over the school newspaper." He looked at Kaoru. "It would be best if you kept your distance from her. She can't bother you if she doesn't know you exist."

Kaoru groaned. "I met her."

"When?"

"This morning. She was bullying a sophomore and I told her to stop."

The group was silent for a moment.

"Don't worry about it. You'll be okay," Misao encouraged, patting her back. "So, what do you think of Himura?"

Kaoru paused for a second. "Himura-sensei?"

"Oh my god, don't you think he is so hot?"

"Ummm . . ." Kaoru did not want to reveal any of her feelings. "I like his short hair."

Misao squealed. "Right? Doesn't it look so good? I mean, I was shocked at first because his long hair was hubba hubba, but – wait, does that mean you saw him before with long hair?"

_Crap!_ "No, not at all. Ever. I . . . just . . . prefer shorter styles."

Sano raked his hand through his hair. "That's done."

Misao ignored him. "He's technically new too. This is his second year at Azusa. I talked to him once last year," she said excitedly. "It rained that day and I slipped on the floor and fell. I thought I was alone in the hall, but he was suddenly there and caught me before I hit the ground. He asked me if I was okay and told me to be more careful. He's so cool! I hope he's not married!" She shook Kaoru's shoulders.

"Me too," she managed to utter. Kaoru felt uneasy during that part of the conversation. She was a little jealous at how Misao easily talked about him, yet she could barely utter his name. She needed to talk to him. She would tell him that they should forget everything that happened between them and move on as student and teacher. After all, it was an innocent error on both their parts. Even if she did like him afterwards, it was only a crush, and there was nothing wrong with having a crush on a teacher, right? Besides, crushes went away and she would find a normal high school boyfriend. Kaoru felt much better after her train of thought. She decided that she would either talk to him after class tomorrow, at the cafe (if he ever dropped by), or if he ever called. Yes, it was a good, logical plan.

* * *

"Bye, Kaoru!"

"Bye!"

"Bye, Soujiro! Bye, Misao!" Kaoru waved. They had just finished cleaning their homeroom at the end of the day, but everyone went to a club meeting immediately after. Kaoru was very much interested in joining a club. She would have joined the cooking club, lord knows she needed it, but due to her part-time job, she wouldn't have been able to commit. So she was alone in her homeroom gathering her belongings and changing her shoes.

"Kaoru?"

Or so she thought. She spun around. Kenshin was standing several feet behind her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Kaoru cleared her throat. "I'm about to go home. Am I not supposed to be here?"

"No, it's fine, it's just that students usually go to a club after class, but then you're new I'm assuming, so you probably don't know which club to join, or maybe you do, or you just don't want to." He was rambling. It had to stop. "It's okay that you're here. Are you?"

Kaoru was thrown off. "Am I?"

"New? Are you new to the school, I mean."

"Yes. I'm new. Brand new. Brand spanking new," her voice trailed off. _Oh god, it can't get more awkward than this._ In fact, it was so awkward, Kaoru visualized what they must look like, and she spurted a laugh but stopped right away. She looked at him.

Kenshin's hands were on his hips and his lips were an inverted pucker to keep from laughing; but that one look from her undid him, and they simultaneously burst in laughter. The fact that they were in a situation where they weren't supposed to be laughing made them laugh even harder. The hysterics took a toll and they both clenched their sides from the jovial ache. The laughter subsided but they were still smiling, standing in the classroom, she in her uniform, him in his dress clothes. He thought her ponytail was cute. "You look good," he said.

"You too. Your haircut looks nice."

He self-consciously touched his hair. "Thanks. I wasn't sure if you were going to like it. It's quite a change for me." He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what to say next. "Ah hell. I don't even know where to begin, or how far back to go." He let out a long sigh. "I really thought you were closer to my age."

This brought a tiny shred of hope to Kaoru. Perhaps he was twenty-three. "I'm actually eighteen." Her peers would have been seventeen.

Kenshin wiped his hand over his face. _Jesus. What the hell is wrong with you, Himura?_ "I'm twenty-nine."

"Oh. But you look so young."

"Yeah, I get that once in a while."

"Twenty-nine," she repeated to herself. "Do I look so old?" Kaoru tried to joke.

"It's not about how you look, but how you are. You're mature, well-spoken, smart and-" _Perfect_, he wanted to say, "-and tall." She wasn't. Ah, he sounded like a mess. "I . . . I'm sorry, Kaoru."

She looked up. His violet eyes were filled with sadness. "Oh no, please don't think it's your fault. It's neither of our faults. I mean, we didn't know each other well enough to know what each other was. It was all an innocent mistake."

"If it was a mistake, it's not one that I regret."

"Kenshin," she unconsciously exhaled.

"I'm serious. It might not be appropriate for me to say, but I had a great time with you last weekend. I admit I'm disappointed at the way things turned out, but it'll be a great memory I won't soon forget, and for that I thank you."

_I'll never forget it._ A heavy feeling overcame her as the reality of them not being able to be together was solidifying. "Maybe we just need to talk about moving forward," she whispered.

Kenshin couldn't quite hear her so he leaned his hand on the lockers behind her head, bringing their bodies close. Kaoru nervously stared at her shoes. She heard him mutter a curse under his breath. Her heart was beating fast. After a moment Kenshin asked, "So now what?"

"So now . . . I'll walk out of this room and you'll stay here, and I'll just be your student and you'll just be my teacher."

"You're Kaoru-san* and I'm just Himura-sensei, right?"

She didn't know why he added 'just'. "What other choice do we have?"

Kenshin closed his eyes and sighed. He selfishly wished that she would be immature so that he had to be the mature one. Now he wanted her even more.

"I should go," she whispered.

Shit, but this was hard. He didn't want her to leave but he couldn't ask her to stay. Before he could stop himself, Kenshin looked in her eyes and said, "I liked you a lot, Kaoru."

Sadness filled her sapphire eyes. "Me too." She paused. "But I still like you." Kaoru moved away from Kenshin. She walked out of the room and closed the door.

Kenshin watched her leave and whispered, "Me too."

* * *

*Author's Note – Kenshin uses the suffix 'san' instead of 'dono' for Kaoru because in modern times this is how teachers address their students. Dono is an honorific used in period language to address one's master or lord. Kenshin used that suffix in the manga, as well as 'sessha', which is a humble way of addressing oneself, because of how he regarded himself due to his past. Thus, the meaning behind dono and the use of it is not relevant to this story's version of Kenshin.


	5. Chapter 5

**October 6**

Kaoru loved city mornings. There was so much life she witnessed during her twenty-minute bike ride to school. Business people walking quickly with their briefcases, parents dropping off their kids, pedestrians reading the paper while waiting at a signal light. She missed working at the café in the mornings. Massive amounts of people would rush in to grab a croissant or a muffin with Tae's acclaimed coffee, then rush back out to get to work on time. There was something exhilarating about being constantly busy. Like she was right now.

Only one month passed by but she felt like she had been living this daily school routine her entire life. Kaoru had constant homework, projects, tests, presentations, and on top of that, she worked part-time. Oh, and she was voted to be the teacher's aide. Something she did not expect or hope for. Everyone realized how much work they had to do, and how little time they had, but someone had to do the job, and Kaoru was nice (and new), so she was nominated and won a unanimous vote. For over a month she did her best to pretend nothing happened between her and Kenshin, all the while having a somewhat normal student-teacher relationship; but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't suppress the racing of her heart or the feeling of anticipation before she saw him every morning.

Luckily, Kaoru made friends who could support her during her dark days, even if she couldn't tell them about it. Every day she would have lunch with the gang, Misao, Soujiro, and Sanosuke. Her new friends were funny, outgoing, open-minded, and smart.

Misao was like a fireball, constantly burning with positive (sometimes negative) energy. She always made one feel like a part of the group by giving the person attention or physically dragging the person in closer. It's no surprise that she was chair of the school media club.

Soujiro loved talking to people, charming them with his perpetual smile. He would make a stranger feel comfortable by acutely observing them, then discussing a subject that the person knew about. It was no wonder he was the school president.

Sano was a typical jock. He had the looks, the moves, the ladies; but he also had a brain. He was constantly observing, listening, or asking questions. He wanted to be the world's best reporter, but for now, he was fine with being chief editor of the school newspaper.

Kaoru was known for being the sweetest, prettiest, and most violent third year in school. The blue of her eyes, her porcelain-like complexion, and the perfection of her body were all forgotten when she began throwing anything within arms' reach if she became slightly offended. She was offered all sorts of positions, from the humanities club to the student body, but she had to decline. She still worked part-time at Café Tae.

Kaoru biked into the school parking lot, being careful not to get hit by a car. Her fingers squeezed the brakes as she rode up the ramp that led to the bike racks. She hopped off her bike and knelt down to lock it to the rack. As she looped the lock through the bars, she heard a loud roar of a motorcycle pull up and park nearby her. She just finished clicking the lock together when a familiar voice said, "Hey, the uniform looks great."

Blue eyes flew up and met violet. Something in her stomach fluttered. Whenever she felt that feeling, she switched her brain to 'Absolute Student Mode.' This meant acting as professional as possible and feeling as little as possible so as not to be distracted by her homeroom teacher. Kaoru stood, pushed her bangs out of the way, and replied, "What?" She forgot what he said.

"I was just saying that I like the design you chose. For the uniform."

Kaoru looked down. She was wearing a navy V-neck t-shirt with a broad white stripe going down either side along with navy shorts. Today was Saturday and the school's sports festival day. The entire week prior was dedicated to practices and preparations. As the teacher's aide, Kaoru had more responsibilities to do and spent more time for the day's events. This included making the final decision for her homeroom's uniform. "Oh, thank you." She trained herself not to say too much in front of him, lest she say something stupid like, "You look good too." _Baka_! She wanted to physically stuff a sock in her mouth.

Kenshin was also not wearing his typical work clothes. He too wore a navy t-shirt (but it was his own so there was no stripe), black shorts and navy running shoes. Chuckling at her awkwardness, he shifted his helmet under his arm and asked, "Do you bike to school every day, Kaoru-san?"

"Yes." She almost winced at his provided suffix. If only she could get over him as easily as he did. _Oh well._

But it was not easy for Kenshin. Seeing her on a daily basis, not just teaching her, but also working closely with her as his aide, required a great deal of self-control. He always tried to make small talk, but she would usually come up with short answers. "Really?" he replied. "You didn't bike when we-" Kenshin was about to mention their date. He mentally punched himself in the pancreas when Kaoru looked away. _Himura, you asshole. _ He quickly changed the subject. _"_Thanks for staying late yesterday to help finish the obstacle course."

She kept her gaze forward. "It's nothing, really. All the other aides were there, so we got everything done pretty quickly."

"You must be pretty excited, it being your first sports festival and all."

"Yeah," she shyly smiled, "I am." She really was. For the past month she helped prepare for the sports festival events, selected her class' uniform, organized the teams, made cheers, and practiced for her delegated event. She was part of the co-ed obstacle course with Soujiro as her partner. They practiced every day the past week to increase their speed time, and each time they got better and better. They were an awesome team. Today was going to be unforgettable.

* * *

And it was.

As Kenshin and Kaoru approached the school, they noticed a large crowd already formed at the school track field. That was slightly perplexing since the festival didn't start for another half hour.

"What's going on?" Kaoru asked.

"Perhaps the vendors are setting up," was Kenshin's best guess. Then they heard parents yelling, speaking angrily to and at each other.

"Who did this?"

"Why would they do such a thing?"

"When did this happen?"

Kaoru reached on her tip-toes to see what the kafuffle was about. What she saw was beyond what she could expect. It was customary for parents to reserve a viewing spot the day before the sports festival. This would be accomplished by leaving a picnic blanket, either pegged down into the grass, or taped to the bleachers. Today there were over two hundred blankets spread around the track, and all were covered with spray paint and garbage. Kaoru gasped as her hands flew to her mouth.

Students, parents and teachers were in chaos and confusion as to what happened. Parents were rightfully outraged and demanded to the principal that something be done. Hiko Seijuro told the dean to find the culprit as soon as possible, so she made the following announcement over the external PA system: "All students, this is the dean. Please report to your homeroom immediately. Again, all students, report to your homeroom immediately. Parents, we greatly apologize for the inconvenience. Please remember the location of your spot as we will provide you a new picnic blanket shortly. Thank you."

Students proceeded to their homerooms as parents grumbled to one another. Once inside, the dean made another announcement but with the internal PA system. "Teachers, please complete a thorough locker check of each student and report anything suspicious immediately. Thank you."

The students murmured with excitement and caution over the calamity. Kenshin asked his students to settle down and open the locks to their lockers. Then he asked them to move away towards the white board. The class became silent as he reached into the first locker and inspected the owner's belongings. He was quick but respectful and moved on to the next. Then the next. And the next. Kenshin was rather sombre, as he knew the situation to be serious, but couldn't imagine any of his students being capable of such misconduct. When he reached Kaoru's locker, he was actually quite interested to see what her possessions consisted of. Maybe a messy makeup bag. _But she doesn't wear makeup. Her beauty is natural._ Maybe those overly cute gigantic cell phone charms. _No, she's more sophisticated than that._ Maybe smelly sneakers. _Surely not. _Maybe a box of condoms. _Himura!_ He surmised that he was anticipating something horrible so that he could realize she wasn't his type and move on. Instead, he pulled out a clean pair of shoes, clean gym clothes, textbooks, a plain blue back pack, dirty gloves, and empty black and green spray paint cans.

"Kaoru." Misao tugged at her friend's elbow.

Kaoru hadn't been paying attention because she was trying not to stare at Kenshin. "Hm? What?" Then she saw. Her eyes widened and she looked directly at Kenshin. "Those aren't mine." All eyes were on her. "I don't know how they got there. They're not mine. I, I didn't do it." Panic rose within her but she knew she had to remain calm. "I can't explain why those were in my locker."

"It's okay," Kenshin said to her.

"She didn't do it," Misao defended. "Kaoru would never do such a thing."

"I said it's okay," he now looked at the shorter girl, secretly glad Kaoru had her as a friend. "Class, please wait here until further instruction." He returned Kaoru's things to her locker and locked it. Collecting the cans and gloves in a stray plastic bag, Kenshin exited the classroom motioning Kaoru to follow. Once the door closed, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Adrenaline from the shock caused her body to tremble. She felt very cold and crossed her arms. "I don't know." She couldn't look at him.

"Hey," he called gently, "Hey." Kenshin put down the bag to rub her arms. "I know it wasn't you. There's no way you could have done this. Hey, Kaoru, look at me." She did. "I know you didn't trash and vandalize those blankets. You believe me, right?"

"You believe me?"

"Without a doubt."

Kaoru stopped trembling. Her eyes began to water with relief, but she didn't cry. "Thank you," she whispered.

Kenshin wanted to hug her. He knew he shouldn't, so he gripped her upper arms instead. "We're going to get to the bottom of this. We'll figure it out together, okay?"

She squared her shoulders and exhaled a puff of readiness. "Okay."

"That's my girl," he said without realizing. He took a step back. "Do you have any idea who might be framing you?"

"Takani Megumi."

Kenshin was surprised but he didn't show it. "What happened?" Kaoru recounted her first day of school when she prevented Megumi from humiliating a younger student. The red head was well aware of the Takanis' reputation, not just with Megumi, but her whole family. She was from a line of wealthy and successful doctors. It was not common knowledge to the public, but Kenshin knew their route to fortune consisted of bribes, the black market, and crime syndicates. Accusing Megumi of vandalism would prove to be very difficult. But he had to try something. "I'm going to go to the dean's office and tell her I found this in the trash. I'm not going to mention you otherwise she'll try to blame you entirely. I'm going to protect you. Do you understand?"

She nodded.

"Hopefully from there we can track down who really did it. Come, let's go back in." When they walked back into the classroom, everyone stopped their murmuring and looked at them. "Alright, everyone. I have reason to believe that Kaoru is not the vandal and is being framed. I'm going to report the evidence to the dean. I'll be right back."

When Kenshin closed the door, Kaoru was suddenly surrounded by her classmates as to who she thought did it.

* * *

"This was found in my homeroom." Kenshin placed the bag of evidence on Yukishiro Tomoe's desk. "We're not sure who left it there, but it wasn't any of my students."

"If it was found in your classroom, then it must have been one of your students."

"It wasn't."

"How do you know?"

"I'm very confident in my students." He was also very confident with his sense of judgement.

"Himura-sensei, I still consider you new to Azusa, so I understand why you think so. But just because our students have heavenly test scores doesn't mean they're not capable of performing hellish acts. As the dean, I have to have proof, and so far the only proof we have is that bag found in your classroom."

"Doesn't that sound a little too easy? Why would someone who vandalized the field leave the evidence in his own homeroom?"

"Why would someone who snuck out very late last night or very early this morning come back into the school and leave his mess in _another _classroom? It only makes sense that the student was a sloppy worker. After all, they are only high school kids."

"Give them more credit. They're actually very bright."

"Are you defending a criminal?" Tomoe asked in a chilled tone.

Kenshin remained equally cool. "I'm defending my students."

Tomoe eyed him silently for a moment. She was not the type to be easily intimidated, rather the contrary. She was tall, serious, and very business-oriented. Her hair was always tied in a low pony-tail and always wore matte red lips. "There are hundreds of parents waiting for me right now to take some sort of disciplinary action. Those parents will have my head if I don't do something about the vandalism. They are threatening to pull their kids out of Azusa. We already had a major budget cut last spring. We can't afford any more withdrawals from the school. I have to do what's better for our school's future."

Her dark eyes and mysterious air was something Kenshin would have been attracted to ten or more years ago, but now he found them boring and bothersome. "Does that mean rather than trying to find the true culprit, you are willing pin an innocent scapegoat?"

"What would you have me do, Himura-sensei? Postpone the festival? Interrogate every single student? "

"With all due respect, Yukishiro-sensei, but it is your job to decide, not mine."

Her dark brow arched upwards. "Fine." She rose and began to exit the room.

Kenshin followed her. "What are you planning to do?"

"It's as you said, sensei. It's my business, not yours."

Kenshin realized she was heading for his homeroom. The two authorities walked in on a class of somewhat noisy students who immediately hushed upon their arrival. They were all crowded around Soujiro and Misao who were in the middle of scribbling theories on the white board as to who the culprit could be. They did not share this with the dean and instead returned quietly to their seats.

Tomoe stood in front of the class, chin up, arms crossed. "I am aware that the evidence was found here, and it is my belief that the person or persons who trashed the picnic blankets is sitting in this room. If you confess right now I promise that there will be no consequence on your permanent record."

The class remained silent.

"I see. Then I have no choice but to hold the entire class responsible. You are not to compete in today's festival."

Everyone was in shock, including Kenshin. "What?"

"If none of your students will confess, then all will be completely eliminated."

"It was my locker!"

All eyes were again on Kaoru.

She rose from her seat. "Please don't pull my class out from the festival today. They worked really hard practicing for the events and making cheers. They're really excited about it, especially since it's their last year."

The dean's eyes narrowed. "What did you mean, 'it was my locker'? The paint cans were found in your locker?"

"Yes."

Tomoe now addressed Kenshin. "Is this true?"

Kenshin looked at his students. It was not part of his nature to lie unless professionally required to do so. Speaking a known untruth in front of a group he was responsible for did not sit well with him; but for Kaoru he was willing to do so . . . until he made eye contact with her. Sapphire eyes pleaded, almost cajoled him to tell the truth. He wasn't sure why he said, "Yes."

Tomoe looked back at Kaoru. "So by confessing that the evidence was found in your locker, you're claiming responsibility over the vandalism?"

"Yes," Kaoru replied with assurance.

"Absolutely not," Kenshin objected immediately.

Tomoe ignored him. "Fine. You will make a formal apology to all the parents. You will clean up the mess _by yourself_ during the principal's speech and the band's performance and group warm-ups. You are banned from the festival, but I will keep my word about this not appearing on your permanent record. Understood?"

Kaoru's pride refused to be stared down, so she did her best to hold the dean's gaze. "Yes."

"No, Kaoru! You can't do that!" Misao yelled. "It's not fair!"

"Yeah, it's not fair!" Hanai Shota, the pimple boy in love with Kaoru shouted then physically shrunk back.

"I suggest we finish this in the hall _alone_," the dean said to the student but eyeing the teacher. Kaoru and Tomoe stepped out of the classroom and closed the door. Tomoe studied the young woman in front of her and knew she had no hand in the crime. Guilt crept within her but she refused to admit it. "Kaoru-san, I will not ban you from the school property, especially since this is your first year in public school. If you wish to observe today's events, I recommend you do so away from parental view. The art room on the fourth floor is known to have a good view of the track. Speaking of parents, I would like to meet with yours. They should be aware of what's going on."

Kaoru looked down. "My parents aren't here."

"Why not?"

"They passed away."

Tomoe paused. "What about your legal guardian?"

"I don't have one."

"Impossible. You're still a minor; you must have a legal guardian. How were you even able to apply to the school?"

Kaoru sighed. She really did not want to delve into the dark part of her past, especially not to the dean. "It's complicated," was all she could say.

"I see. Come with me. We'll notify the principal."

* * *

"Good morning, families of Azusa High." Hiko Seijuro stood on a podium in front of all the families, students, and teachers assembled around the school soccer field. "I am Hiko Seijuro, principal of Azusa High." He paused for the applause; but there was none. "Before we begin, we have a student here who would like to say something."

Kaoru stepped forward. "Hello," she said nervously, "Parents, teachers, and classmates: My name is Kamiya Kaoru, and I would like to apologize for the mess on the picnic blankets. You see," she found it hard to utter these next words, "I, I was the one who did it."

Everyone started to talk all at once. Parents were outraged while students and teachers were shocked. Kaoru knew she was innocent and had no reason to feel bad, but hearing the blame and words of malice affected her tender heart. But she had to continue. "I apologize for vandalizing your picnic blankets and covering them in trash. I did it because . . . because . . ." She had no idea. "Because I wanted to be cool. I thought that if I ruin your blankets and waste everyone's time and money and was completely inconsiderate and selfish, then I could be one of the cool kids." The innuendo was understood by a majority of the students. "But I was wrong. I realized that being mean and a bully isn't cool at all, and it really is just sad, because in the end, the person that ends up getting hurt the most is myself."

"Yeah!" shouted someone from the crowd. (It was Sanosuke.)

"I understand if you don't forgive me, but I would be grateful if you do. Today I have a learned a valuable lesson, and I promise not to do anything like this again." Kaoru bowed deeply from her waist, arms straight down against her sides.

There was a small applause but it quickly died down when Kaoru was pushed to the side by the principal so he could commence the opening speech.

With a box of garbage bags, Kaoru walked over to the track field. At the nearest blanket, she grabbed the diagonal corners and created something of a parcel out of it. That seemed to be the most efficient way to clean up the mess. She stuffed it in a garbage bag and proceeded to the adjacent blanket. She stuffed that one in the garbage bag and dusted her hands. This might actually be faster than she thought. She moved onto the next blanket when she heard someone running towards her.

"Kaoru!"

She looked up to see Misao running with fistfuls of empty garbage bags. "Misao." She was smiling, but she said, "I don't think you should be here."

"I belong here as much as you do. Now come on, let's show Takani Megumi how badass we really are!"

Sapphire eyes beamed with gratitude. "Okay!"

The two girls now were picking up the garbage, but they weren't the only ones for long. Soujiro soon joined them, followed by Sanosuke who yelled, "Hey Shota! Don't you want to help out your future wife?" while he was running.

Hanai Shota adjusted his glasses from being startled, but he came running out of the crowd at lightning speed. He started to fill up trash bags like a man possessed. Some other boys who secretly had a crush on Kaoru also joined, and soon the field and bleachers were sprinkled with her entire homeroom, including Kenshin.

It was not long before the whole third year class joined in on cleaning, much to the principal's chagrin (he was in the middle of his speech after all). The field was an integrated mix of colors from all the classes. Laughter from odd findings in the trash could be heard, as well as the prattling from proud parents.

"Please take all full bags to the west end of the field!" Soujiro shouted directions as a true school president. "Let's create an assembly line! Don't forget to sort the recyclables! Can someone please get the new picnic blankets from the secretary?"

From start to finish, the field was cleaned and ready for spectators within twenty minutes.

Principal Hiko tapped the microphone on the podium. "Ahem. Thank you very much, senior class, for your cooperation with the clean-up. You have shown great school spirit and teamwork. Give yourselves a pat on the back!"

The senior class cheered with high-fives and chest bumps.

"Now," he continued, "are we ready to let the games begin?"

All the students roared their approval and went to their respective places. Kaoru had no choice but to retreat inside the school building to the art room. She wasted no time and got to work.

* * *

The first event was a standard relay race. Shota and another classmate were participating and were stretching in preparation. "I really wish Kaoru was here," Soujiro said to Misao.

"Me too. We're so gonna nail Megumi for this one. I can't believe Kaoru sacrificed herself for our class. It's not fair that she has to sit in the art room all day and – oh look! Look at the window!" Kenshin's class turned around and saw a poster hanging out of the art room window reading, "GO CLASS 3-A!" Kaoru was waving colorful balls of . . . sponge? . . . as she silently cheered her team. "You see that, Shota?" Misao shouted. "That's for you! Win this relay and you'll win her heart! Win, Shota, win!"

And so he did. And they won the next event, and the event after that.

Kaoru made signs, posters and banners, one after the next, to encourage and uplift her classmates. She became really creative at the silent cheer moves she came up with, and sometimes she couldn't resist but shout a 'woo hoo!' every so often.

Kenshin was in the middle of giving the next group of participants a pep talk when he was interrupted by the dean. Tomoe pulled him aside and said, "Can you please do something about that girl?" She motioned her head towards the art room. "I tried asking her to watch the games silently, but she just keeps making more signs. Frankly, some of the parents do not approve of her having fun while she's supposed to be punished."

"If she won't listen to you, what makes you think she'll listen to me?" Kenshin asked innocently. "Besides, she's only a high school kid." He grinned when Tomoe rolled her eyes and walked away. He looked back at Kaoru dancing goofily by the window. Today she was able to turn a disaster into an accomplishment, and all without his help.

"Himura-sensei, you look like you're in love!" teased one of his male students.

Kenshin was quick to recover. "This is no time to be jealous, Shogo. Are we going to win this thing or what?"


	6. Chapter 6

**November 1**

"Stop laughing."

"I'm not laughing."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not."

Kenshin glowered at his friend. "Then why are your shoulders shaking?"

"I have a tick."

The redhead sighed. He regretted telling Aoshi how much his teacher's salary was. The two friends usually met at this bar whenever they wanted drinks. They preferred the quiet atmosphere with predominantly male customers. Women tended to get men loud and riled. Customers consisted mainly of upper class business men, and Aoshi and Kenshin blended right in. Shinomori Aoshi looked untouchable in his grey three-piece suit. The material and tailoring were of immaculate quality, reflecting the wearer's taste. Kenshin was more low-key but was still equally impressive. Though he usually wore a dress shirt and slacks, it was his attention to detail that made him stand out. The style of the cuffs, the width of a tie, the lining of a pocket, all these contributed to his essence of class.

The redhead ignored his friend's reaction. "Money's not important to me."

"I can tell." Aoshi downed a shot of sake. "Well, at least you have the stipend."

Kenshin took a shot. Tonight the warm liquid tasted smooth with hint of bitterness. He refilled their empty glasses. "Did you hear about Saitoh?"

"Yeah, he's a policeman now, right?"

"He got married too."

The friend almost choked. "When?"

"Last year."

"The woman has to be crazy or a saint to marry Saitoh Hajime." He was genuinely baffled. "Anyway, I don't understand why you two would choose to work for local."

Kenshin shrugged. "I just needed a change." He watched Aoshi pour another glass for them.

"Yeah, I don't miss it."

"Miss what?"

"Work. I mean, our old work. Do you?"

"Do I miss the mind numbing stress, losing sleep for four days straight, never getting a true day off, not knowing whether I would still be alive the next day?" He gave a sardonic laugh. "Yeah, I do."

Aoshi side-glanced his friend. Kenshin's answer was more telling than he meant to share. Aoshi could tell there was something bothering him, something in his life that he was unhappy about. Though they were good friends, the dynamic in their relationship was competition, so he felt awkward talking about each other's problems. It was like providing evidence that they were weak. Deciding to lighten the mood, Aoshi said, "Tell me three things that make teaching so damn worth it."

Kenshin put up a finger for each reason. "June. July. August."

"Well said." They clinked glasses and took another shot.

Kenshin noticed Aoshi checking out the waitress passing by. "Dating anyone?"

"No," Aoshi replied. He was actually fucking the office secretary, but that wasn't considered dating. "You?"

"Nope." A memory of Kaoru in his arms on the pier flashed, then one of her watching him give his lecture. "No, I'm not." He downed another shot, wishing the drink was something stronger.

"Wasn't there that girl you wanted to ask out in the summer? You were after her for months."

Kenshin motioned to the bartender. "Scotch neat, please." He took a solid drink before speaking. "That one didn't work out."

"What about that dean? Is she still interested in you?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. She's coming to the class trip next week with my group when she has three other groups to choose from. Could mean anything."

"Do teachers get their own room?" Aoshi raised a rakish brow.

"Yes."

"Then don't be surprised if you find yourself with company one night. Maybe two."

Kenshin visualized finding Kaoru waiting in his bed. If it happened, he wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of the situation. He imagined himself walking right up to her, cupping her face with both his hands and kissing her senseless. She would be overwhelmed and breathless and begging him to have mercy, and when he would lift his face from hers, he would be satisfied at her passion-hazed expression. _Himura. What the hell are you thinking, you horny bastard?_ Maybe he was just lonely. He tried to picture Tomoe instead and immediately had a convulsive shudder.

Aoshi grunted with amusement. "Surely she's not that hideous."

Kenshin threw back his last shot, took out his wallet, and put down a few bills. "I got this one."

The taller friend smirked. "You sure you can afford that with your teacher's salary?"

"Shut up." They walked to the parking lot. "I'll see you around," Kenshin said as Aoshi opened his car door.

"You walked?"

A nod.

"I'll give you a lift."

"Next time."

"Alright. Take care of yourself."

"You too."

Kenshin watched Aoshi drive away and began walking home. The teacher took a deep breath of the new fall air. His exhale was harsh, frustrated. Time had passed so quickly yet so slowly for him. He had to admit that teaching didn't bring the greatest joy in his life. However, the occupation was predictable and safe . . . _Kaoru . . . _almost safe. Seeing her every day was a double-edged sword. Even though she came to class every morning, she never asked any questions or needed any help. As his aide, he was able to work with her a little more than any other student, but it seemed that she made sure that they were never alone. One time he was able to get a smile from her. It was lunch and she was at his desk helping him file the permission slips and fees for the upcoming class trip. A group of female students came up to his desk, ignored Kaoru, and flirted shamelessly with him. It would have been an annoyance, but he hoped that Kaoru would feel a little jealous. Instead she merely smiled at him and continued working. Maybe she moved on. "Hell," he grumbled. He looked at the black sky and couldn't see a single star. He quickened his pace.

It was going to rain.

* * *

**November 2**

Kaoru was late.

The rain began to pour just before she had to leave for school. It was terribly windy and ice cold. The bike ride was going to be an awkward one as she had to hold her umbrella with one hand and steer with the other. Her umbrella was acting as a parachute, pulling her back against the wind. Fighting against it, she attempted to use the umbrella as a shield against the slanting rain, then suddenly her arm flew back and the umbrella flipped inside out, causing her to fall off her bike. _Damn nuisance. _Kaoru had to forego the useless contraption. She flipped her poncho hood over her head, but it fell off as soon her bike picked up speed. The rain felt like frozen bullets against her face, the wind like a knife to the bone. Barely at the halfway point to school, Kaoru managed to pull out her phone from her pocket. Her fingers were so frozen she could barely dial, but luckily she only needed to hold down one button.

"Hello?" the Misao whispered.

"Hey, it's me." She was half shouting, half panting. "I'm running late." She biked as fast as she could now. "Tell Himura-sensei I'm almost at school." She wasn't. "Tell him that I shouldn't have to sing because I'm giving him advanced notice." Kenshin had a policy that late-comers had to sing a Britney Spears song. Any Britney Spears song.

"Advanced notice? Class is going to start in thirty seconds."

"Then tell him within twenty-nine. I gotta go, but thanks so much–"

She was suddenly cut off by a motorcycle.

Kaoru was able to swerve fast enough to avoid hitting any other cyclist or pedestrian, but it also caused her to fall hard onto the ground. People around her helped get her legs untangled from her bike. She made a small groan as she was lifted off the wet pavement. Her palms and knees were burning. Her helpers asked if she was okay. It was raining so hard she couldn't see if she was badly hurt. She tried to ignore the pain as she replied, "I'm okay." She was glad she decided to wear her helmet today.

The motorcyclist pulled over. Flipping up his visor, he approached Kaoru. "Hey, you should watch where you're going. Talking on your cell and biking at the same time isn't very smart. Especially in the rain."

Kaoru glowered at the rude man whose face was obscured by his helmet. She couldn't argue, though, because he was technically right. "Noted," was all she could say. Picking up her bike, she realized she must have dropped her phone. It was lying in a puddle. "Oh no." She picked it up. The screen was cracked and it wouldn't turn on. _Wonderful_. She needed a phone, especially her contact list. Money was a little tight this month. There was no way she could afford a new phone right now.

"You broke your phone?"

You_ broke it!_ "It's fine."

"Looks broken to me. Hey, you're from Azusa."

Kaoru then noticed that he wore the same uniform. She nodded.

"I'd offer you a ride to school but I can't really do that," he thumbed at the girl on the back of his bike, also wearing the same uniform.

_I'd offer you a knuckle sandwich but I can't really do that either._ "I'll be fine."

"Come on! I'm getting soaked!" The girl shouted.

Kaoru recognized Megumi's voice.

"Alright then, be careful." The teen flipped his visor back down and walked away.

"You should be the one who's careful, you arrogant, self-absorbed, inconsiderate Megumi-lover," Kaoru muttered to herself. She hobbled to school as fast as she could. Not because she was forty minutes tardy, but because she was freezing. Her body shook as she opened the classroom door, causing the knob to rattle. She wasn't surprised when everyone stared as she entered. Then she looked at Kenshin.

Now, he looked surprised. He said, "You're bleeding"

Puzzled for a second, she looked down and saw her tights were torn at the knees. The right knee looked particularly severe with blood covering the area.

The teacher closed his book. "Everyone, continue reading 'til the end of the chapter and answer the challenge questions. I'll be right back." Kenshin went over to where Kaoru was standing. He gently turned her palms up. Those were bleeding too. "Come on." He opened the door for her. "I'll take you to the nurse's office."

The pain increased as the chilling numbness left her body. She tried not to show it, but from the clenching of her jaw and the sharp inhalations Kenshin could tell immediately. He wrapped an arm around her to hold her against him while he supported her elbow with the opposite hand. "It's okay, I got you," he whispered. They walked a slow pace to the nurse's office.

Unfortunately, the nurse wasn't in. Fortunately, Kenshin knew how to treat injuries. He helped Kaoru sit on the edge of the bed and gathered what he needed. He removed her dripping poncho and hung it up. "Let's take care of those hands first." He took one hand and paused. "You're like ice. We have to take your jacket off."

Kaoru didn't expect him to look so worried. His amethyst eyes were filled with concern, his brows slightly furrowed, his mouth in a frown. She wondered if he was like this for every student, or particularly her. A nervous lump grew in her throat and she only nodded in response. Standing in front of her, the teacher very gently helped her take off her uniform blazer without her palms being touched.

"Even your shirt is soaked through. No wonder you're freezing. You're going to have to get out of that or you'll get hypothermia. I'll turn around. Let me know when you're done."

Kaoru was too cold to be mortified at the idea of her undressing in front of her teacher and crush. Her numb fingers fumbled uselessly at her buttons. "I c-can't."

Kenshin turned around and came to her aid. He made full eye contact with her as he unfastened her buttons. "Where is your coat?"

"I forgot to bring one." Her shirt was completely open. She tried not to be embarrassed. "I just rushed out of the apartment with my poncho and umbrella." She shifted so he could remove her arm from her sleeve.

Once undressed, he immediately wrapped a towel around her. He then pulled up her ankle and unlaced her shoes. His hands reached towards the hem of her skirt, but then retracted. They reached again, and again retracted. "Um, I'll have to ask you to take off your tights."

A blush rose to her cheeks when she realized he thought about doing it for her. "Yes, okay."

"Your feet will stay cold if they're wet," he explained as he turned his back. "And it'll be easier to clean the area."

Kaoru slowly stood off of the bed onto the linoleum floor. She was able to bring the waistband to the top of her knees, but it stung as she tried to bring it lower. Kenshin turned when she hissed in pain. "Don't turn around!" she yelled. He immediately obeyed. Though the material brushed against her wound, she was finally able to remove the tights. "I'm done."

The scrape was pretty bad, Kenshin surmised. Pieces of gravel were stuck in her skin. He helped her again. Kaoru was still shivering so he wrapped her in a blanket. Rubbing her arms, he asked, "Better?"

A small smile. "Yes, thank you."

"Alright, now let's clean those hands." Using alcohol and cotton pads, he commenced the disinfection. He heard her stifle a gasp. "You don't have to be strong in front of me. I'm no one to impress."

Kaoru disagreed._ You're the only one I want to impress._

As Kenshin cleaned her palms, he noticed how beautiful her hands were. They were small, but her fingers were long and slim. Her skin was white and smooth, except for the scrapes, and was quite a contrast to his hands. His were tan, large and calloused with a sprinkle of faint scars. For a moment he remembered what her fingers felt like between his own. _Stop._ "How did you fall?" he asked to distract himself but also in concern.

"A motorcycle cut me off."

He moved on to her knees. "Was it near school?" He tried to be gentle as he cleaned the blood and removed the gravel.

"Kind of. It was near–" she sharply inhaled. " –the park. My phone broke from the fall."

"Better your phone than a bone. That rhymed." He gave her a goofy smile. Kenshin applied a salve to her hands and knees. He was so tender, so careful.

Kaoru couldn't explain why she had the sudden urge to hold him. She wasn't used to being taken care of. That didn't mean she didn't need it or want it. On the contrary, she interpreted it as a form of affection. She loved how Kenshin's hands were so warm against her cool skin. His touch was gentle but firm. She could tell he was trying not to let his hands linger, or touch anywhere too high or too low. Blushing at her thoughts, she secretly wished that he would.

The redhead finished wrapping her hands and knees with gauze and bandages. He straightened and leaned in towards Kaoru. His fingers pushed under her jaw to lift her chin. "You're scratched here too. Not bad, but I think you're going to need a Band-Aid."

She desperately hoped he didn't feel her racing pulse.

He cautiously dabbed some alcohol on the scrape. His face was close to hers. He could smell her sweet skin and he thought of the pier. He could almost hear the music playing. He wished she could hear it too. _I still remember how you felt in my arms._ He opened the Band-Aid . . . _Your head was on my chest, my hand was on your back . . . s_lowly placed it on her chin . . . _I wanted to kiss you . . . _thumb stroking the ends to adhere . . ._ and you wanted me to kiss you_. He looked at her. Her expression was the same as that moment. Hand now on her neck, he pulled her towards him. She closed her eyes.

_Stop._

Kenshin suddenly grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back. "And we're done!" he practically shouted.

Kaoru's eyes were wide with startle. Embarrassed by her composure, she wrapped the blanket tightly around herself. Looking at his watch, Kenshin remembered that he had a class to teach. "I'm sorry, I have to go." She was giving him that look he used to, polite but distant. "Stay here until you feel better. The nurse can give you a spare uniform."

"Okay."

"Don't go out in the rain at break."

"I won't."

"And be careful."

"I will."

He wanted to kiss her. Even if it was just on the forehead. "Bye."

"Bye."

His mouth tipped in a half-smile and he left the room before he acted upon his thoughts.

* * *

Kaoru's head was swimming by the time fourth period ended. The class just finished a physics exam. She stuffed her pencil and eraser in her backpack then zipped her backpack shut.

Misao smiled brightly at her. "I failed that test with flying colors!"

Kaoru grinned. "Good for you. Ready for lunch?"

"Since breakfast. But I'll meet you there. I just have to make the lunch announcements. See ya!"

"Okay. Hey Sou, I'll meet you there," Kaoru called out as he was talking with other students. He waved in acknowledgement. She headed towards the stairwell where the gang now met for lunch.

"Hey, you're the girl who fell off her bike."

She stopped. It was the guy who cut her off from this morning. He was tall with an athletic build. Obviously was one of the cool guys with his shirt un-tucked and tie knotted low. His skin was very, very tanned. Kaoru frowned. "Actually, I-"

"You broke your phone too, right? I feel kinda bad about that, seeing that your phone looked like it was from 1998." It was. "Let me get you a new phone."

"No, don't, I-"

He grabbed the front of a shirt of a passing by first-year student. "Hey, give her your phone." The boy automatically obliged.

"Stop it!" Kaoru shoved the phone back to the boy's chest. He ran away. She looked at the third-year teen, deeply annoyed.

He shrugged. "I was just trying to do you a favor."

"Please, the only favor I ask is that you don't try to hit me with your bike." She tried to walk away but he blocked her.

"Sassy. I like that." He leaned in close. Dark lashes framed his light-colored eyes. "How about I do you another favor and give you my number?"

Kaoru took a step back. "Three things: One, no thank you; two, when did you do me the first favor; three, the second favor is not a favor. At all."

He looked surprised for a moment. "Oh, I see. You want me to ask for your number so you feel more . . . pursued, is that right?"

"Nope."

"Well," he scribbled on a random piece of paper from his back pocket, "Since I know that your phone is broken, I obviously can't ask for your number, so I'll leave you with mine and you let me know when your phone is working." He winked at her as though he were God's gift to women.

Kaoru refrained from throwing up.

The teen checked her out once more and noticed her hands and legs wrapped in bandages. He gave her a sly smile and said, "Cool look." He finally walked away.

Kaoru looked at the paper before throwing it out. He had written his phone number and name: Shishio Makoto.

* * *

"Shishio Makoto?!"

Sanosuke, Misao, and Soujiro were stunned to hear the news Kaoru recounted in the stairwell.

"Yep," Kaoru continued. Blue eyes widened. "You'll never guess who was with him."

"Megumi!" Sanosuke guessed.

Kaoru's excitement deflated. "How did you know?"

"Well, if it was Shota you wouldn't have said, 'you'll never guess.' Wait!" Sanosuke held up his hands. Something he usually did when he was about to come up with something profound or brilliant. Or really stupid. "If we're talking about the same Makoto, and I'm talking about Shishio Makoto, and if Megumi was on her way to school with him this morning, then that can only mean one thing."

"They slept together!" Misao shouted.

"No! They had sex!" The jock corrected.

"It's the same thing," Soujiro laughed.

"Well, congratulations, Megumi." Sanosuke crossed his arms, grinning. "She finally got to fuck the guy she's been after since first year."

Misao frowned. "Can we _try_ to be classier?"

"Sorry. She finally got to bang the guy. Better?"

"Well, we don't know that for sure," Soujiro interjected. He said to Kaoru, "The whole school knows that Megumi has been head over heels for Makoto ever since they met. What's also known is that Makoto is the biggest playboy and druggie in the school, and he doesn't care that much about Megumi. She keeps playing hard to get, but then throws herself at him when he acts like he doesn't care. I think she likes him because he's the only one not threatened by her."

Sanosuke began to chew on the tail of his fishbone. "Jou-chan, I swear, you have the worst luck when it comes to running into people at this school."

_Megumi, Makoto, Kenshin. _Yep. She did. "Well, I just hope I don't have to run into either of them again," Kaoru said as she began to eat. But she should have knocked on wood.

Soujiro took a sip of his tea. "It's too bad that they're going to be in our group for the class trip."

"Yeah, but it's _too good _that my class will also be in the same group, right?" Sanosuke pointed at himself with his thumbs in exaggerated cockiness. His friends stared expressionless. "Oh, come on, guys."

"Ha! We're just joking!"

"Of course we're happy you're in our group!"

"It wouldn't be the same without you!"


	7. Chapter 7

**November 5 – Class Trip: Day 1**

"Azusa students, please locate your bus partner and load onto your designated bus," Takeda-sensei, the English teacher, instructed with a megaphone.

The group of seventy Azusa High students comprised of three homerooms just landed from a ninety-minute plane ride. Of course, there was Kenshin's class. Another class belonged to Physics teacher Masaoka, of which Sanosuke was in. Lastly was Takeda's class with Megumi and Makoto. Tomoe also came along since an additional female supervisor was required. At least that was what she said.

It was the first day of their class trip, and they were on their way to a mountain retreat site one-hour bus ride away from the Sapporo airport. This year's class trip was suggested by Kenshin, as his idea saved the school some money and was rather educational. Rather than site-seeing, he thought the seniors would benefit from team-building and leadership activities to prepare them for work/college life. A lot of students, particularly the female ones, were disappointed at the choice of location. They were used to tourist sites, shopping malls and hotels. Many of the boys were thrilled at the idea of spending four days and three nights in the wilderness. Granted, the sleeping accommodations would be in a lodge rather than tents, but it was as close to an outdoor adventure as they could get.

Kaoru was extra excited because this was her first school trip ever. She originally did not intend to go because the cost was outside of her budget. Luckily, she was able to get a school grant based on her low-income status and good grades. Kaoru was used to travelling so she was a pro at efficient packing, but last night she packed and repacked her luggage four times. She was so excited to be on a plane and bus with her friends, chatting, laughing, and playing games, that she couldn't sleep and ended up sleeping the entire way to the resort.

Another exciting part of the trip was to see each other in street clothes rather than uniforms. People's personalities were better expressed through their choice of attire. Misao was on the tom-boy side but trendy. Soujiro was preppy but not stuffy. Sanosuke was sporty yet cool. Kaoru was simple yet timeless.

"Excuse me, everyone," Takeda-sensei addressed again with the megaphone; but being on the bus, the volume pierced everyone's ears. Kenshin calmly, but quickly, took the megaphone away. "Sorry, sorry." The English teacher continued. "After off-loading the bus, please help the bus driver unload the luggage. Collect your belongings and check with Yukishiro-sensei for your room assignment. Thank you."

Sanosuke was the last of the gang to step off the bus. The students knew it was going to be cold, especially seeing that the mountain they were on was covered lightly with snow, but the jock apparently forgot what winter felt like. "It's fucking freezing!" he yelled while group squeezing his three friends for body heat.

"Check, check. May I have your attention please?" Takeda seemed to love that megaphone. "Please go to your assigned room, change out of your uniforms and put away your bags. The boys' lodge is the building to your right, and the girls' lodge is the building to your left. This big building in the middle is the main facility. We will meet in the foyer in fifteen minutes. Thank you."

* * *

The foyer inside the chalet was nothing short of grand. Made to imitate western style lodges, the ceiling reached two stories high though was mainly one level. The furniture and décor was rustic in design, complete with a brown upright piano and large fireplace. The space itself was large enough to fit one hundred people. There was a small loft to the right overlooking the foyer, also set with furniture and a smaller fireplace, which could fit another thirty. The open foyer led to several entrances, of which Masaoka-sensei explained:

"The hall down the right will lead to the girls' lodge. The hall down the left will lead to the boys' lodge and teachers' cabin. This large entry way," she pointed to the back of the foyer, "will lead to the locker rooms for the _onsen_. The other large entry way leads to the dining hall where we will eat all our meals." She then held out a piece of paper. "If you look at your itinerary, you will see that breakfast starts every day at eight-thirty. It doesn't matter what time you wake up, as long as you are able to get ready and be in the dining hall by eight-thirty sharp. Throughout this entire trip we will be integrating all our homerooms together, so please do your best to sit and hang out with other students not in your home room. This is a great time to make more friends. Every night after dinner, we will meet in the foyer and regroup in our homerooms. Then it's lights out by eleven. I'll let Yukishiro-sensei go over the rules."

Tomoe stepped forward. "You are not to leave the camp grounds unless with myself or any of the teachers. You must maintain the cleanliness of your room on a daily basis. No food or drinks in the rooms. You must remain in your assigned room at night unless when using the restroom."

"Is this a school camp or a concentration camp?" Misao muttered to Kaoru.

"Visiting the opposite gender's lodge is strictly forbidden. The same applies with the onsen. Anyone found with the possession of cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, or weapons will be sent home immediately with no refund. Electronic devices including cell phones may only be used during free time; otherwise they will be confiscated until the end of the trip. You must participate in all activities unless a health risk is involved. If so, please notify myself or your teacher. Any questions?"

Nobody dared.

"Then let's proceed to the dining hall for lunch."

Since it was the first day, everyone sat with whom they were comfortable with. The teachers naturally sat together, but Kenshin found this particular group to be rather boring. He liked Masako Satomi, a short and plump mid-fifties woman who had the most gentle smile and softest voice. Takeda Kanryu was a wiry, nerdy type who loved hearing his own voice and doling unwanted (and sometimes inaccurate) advice. Tomoe was always quiet and serious, which meant she was utterly boring, at least to Kenshin. She always made sure to sit next to Kenshin, either because she liked him, or because Kanryu kept trying to sit next to her. A sudden, "Yum!" was exclaimed from another table, and Kenshin wished he was sitting next to the girl who treated her food like treasure.

Misao and Kaoru were the only ones at their table chatting happily as they ate. Kaoru was particularly enthusiastic because the food was inclusive and she could eat more than her money's worth. This was to the demise of Soujiro and Sanosuke. Because Kaoru ate more than the average Japanese female, their food supply reached an unexpected shortage, so it was best for them to use their mouths to eat than talk, lest Kaoru deplete the entire stock.

* * *

"For our first activity, we'll be doing the Human Knot." The History teacher spoke loudly so everyone could hear. They were standing outside in an open snow-covered field divided into teams of ten. "Everyone put both hands in the middle, close your eyes, and grab someone else's hand. Then untangle yourselves without letting go of any hands. You should end up looking like a perfect circle. This exercise focuses on teamwork. Everyone has to work together in order for the group to be successful. The winning team will be served dinner by the losing team! Ready and go!"

The teams commenced.

"That's not a hand!" someone shouted.

Kaoru had never done this before and stared at the mess of held hands. It seemed impossible. At first nobody seemed to move, then they all tried to move at once.

"Lift up your arm!"

"Move to the left!"

"Go through that hole!"

"I can't fit!"

"Stop spinning!"

"Everyone, shut up!" This was yelled by Shishio Makoto. He was in Kaoru's group. "There's way too much talking and way too much breathing. We look like a disaster. I don't even know whose hands I'm holding." He squeezed his hands. A girl squealed. She was holding one of his hands.

Kaoru realized she was holding his other one. _PUKE._

"I ain't serving shit tonight," he continued, "so we better win. I'll tell everyone what to do."

No one tried to contradict him, so Kaoru felt the need to. "If you're the only one telling us what to do, that's not teamwork."

"If everyone listens to me, then it is. It's called leadership."

"It's called dictatorship," she muttered under her breath.

"Come on, I'm going to win, with or without you guys. You, short guy with the black jacket. Go under all the arms. Yeah, that's it. Homely girl, yeah you, back up and go through the arms behind you."

This went on for the next seven minutes. The guy was a total jerk, rude and demeaning. She didn't know why he was so popular. But he was smart and he knew how to lead. Their originally tight knot of hands was becoming looser and looser and starting to look more like a circle. They were almost there. So was Soujiro's team.

"Hurry!" someone urged. Kaoru stepped over a pair of arms, twisted, and then, "Yay!" They were the first team to successfully unknot themselves. Makoto held Kaoru's hand a little longer than necessary. She looked at their joined hands, then at him, and removed it as though he took something that belonged to someone else.

"Alright, great job, Team Four!" Kenshin congratulated Kaoru's team when the second last team untangled. "Team One," Megumi was in this team, "it looks like you guys will be serving dinner tonight. Everyone still did well, so remember where teamwork can get you. Let's head over to the west building and we'll get geared up for cross-country skiing."

The snow crunched underneath everyone's boots as the proceeded to the next building. "Hey," Makoto tilted his chin up at Kaoru as he walked beside her. "I did pretty good, huh?"

"Yeah, you weren't so bad," she decided.

He gave her the trademark Shishio wink and smile. "You have me to thank for having your dinner served tonight."

* * *

And so she did.

The dining hall filled with physically tired yet mentally energetic students. They sat at the long tables according to their teams earlier today. Kaoru did her best to sit between two other students to prevent Makoto from sitting next to her. This was not a problem because he sat across from her. _Lovely_.

As promised, Team Two had to serve Team Four's dinner. Most of them took it in stride, joking with themselves and the other students. Takani Megumi, on the other hand, looked a little sour, though still pretty. It wasn't because her team lost, or even that they had to be serving; but the guy whose attention she tried so hard to get was being easily diverted by this newbie pauper. Megumi began her round at the table to pour the winners' tea. She was across from Makoto but he wasn't even acknowledging her. What could she do to get his attention? She reached Kaoru and began pouring tea into her cup . . . then her hand. Kaoru reactively yelled in pain. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Megumi's tone and expression made her seem genuine, though her eyes smiled at the girl's pained expression.

Makoto was also quick to react. He plunged Kaoru's hand into her glass of water. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he directed at Megumi.

Megumi was taken aback. Why was he defending that low-life Kamiya and attacking _her_? This simply would not do. "Kaoru," she said saccharine sweet, "are you okay? Let me help you. We'll go to the ladies room and run some cold water on the burn."

Kaoru hesitated. She wanted to tell the bitch off, but she didn't want to cause a scene or create a reason for another attack. Instead she said, "No, I'm okay."

"Come on," Megumi tugged on her arm, "I want to make sure you're alright."

"Megumi-san, please move aside." Kenshin came from behind with ice and a few towels. He put the cubes in a smaller towel and wrapped it around Kaoru's hand. "How's that?" he asked his student. "We'll put some ointment on it after dinner. Why don't we move you to another table since this spot is wet?" She nodded. Then he turned to Megumi. "Use these to clean up the spill." He passed her the towels.

The popular girl was sorely disappointed her devise didn't go according to plan, but at least Makoto could now focus on her. She looked at him in triumph; but he was watching Kaoru.

* * *

"What a bitch!" Misao snorted. "I can't believe that Megumi - no, I can believe it. Anyway, I hope when she gets breast implants it'll turn out botched."

Misao, Kaoru, and two other girls from Takeda Kanryu's class bunked together in one room. They already washed up and were indulging in some bedtime gossip before lights-out.

"I can't believe you stood up to her, Kaoru," one girl named Kayo said. "I try to avoid her at all costs, which technically isn't so easy when being in her homeroom."

"I can imagine," Kaoru laughed. "But enough of this Megumi-talk. Let's please talk about something more uplifting and interesting."

The three other girls squealed in unison: "Boys!"

"I think your friend Sagara Sanosuke is so cute!" said the other girl, Hana.

"Cute?" Kayo almost looked offended. "He's _hot_."

"Sano is okay," Misao teetered her palm, "but he's not hot."

"How come you don't go out with him?"

"Because he's not hot."

"Kaoru, what about you?" asked Hana. "Who do you think is good-looking?"

"Well . . ." her shoulders raised in a shrug. "I'm not so into looks. All that matters is how he treats me and if I respect him."

Kayo poked her teasingly. "Sounds like you're talking about someone specific."

_Knock knock._ "Kaoru-san?"

The group of girls turned to the voice behind the door. Kaoru rose from the floor to answer it. "Himura-sensei," she greeted unexpectedly.

"Sorry to bother you ladies," he waved at the girls staring in curiosity. Now addressing Kaoru, he continued, "I know it's late, but can I ask for your help for tomorrow's activity?"

"Of course. Is there anything you would like me to bring?"

"Just yourself is enough." He didn't mean it in a romantic way, but the other girls oohed and giggled. "Oh, maybe a coat. We have to cross to the teacher's lodge." More oohing and giggling.

Kaoru gave her friends the death glare as she grabbed her coat. "Alright, let's go," she said to the teacher. She began to close the door.

"Bring her back by midnight!" Misao teased.

The door closed in a rush. "I'm sorry about that," Kaoru said sheepishly.

"I should be the one who's sorry. I'm not as prepared as I hoped I would be. How's your hand?"

"It's fine. I think the ointment Masaoka-sensei applied is working very well." He opened the door for her. The night air was very cold, making Kaoru practically run to the teacher's lodge. Kenshin followed behind. He again held open the door for her, and he led the way once inside. "Where are we going?"

"My room." His door had a lock. He ushered her inside and turned on the light.

She felt a little nervous being alone with the redhead in a room meant for sleeping. "Am I allowed to be here?"

"It's probably highly inappropriate." He grinned at his bluntness. "Are you okay with it?"

Her brow rose with feigned suspicion. "Are you planning on taking advantage of me?"

"In every possible way," he joked.

"Then you may as well have your way with me!" Kaoru tossed back her head and dramatically threw open her coat. They both laughed. "So! What can I help with?" Her coat came off so as not to acclimate.

Kenshin took out a plastic bag from his duffel. He sat on the floor and took out several bags of balloons. "We need to blow up about two hundred balloons."

Kaoru's eyes looked like plates. "With my mouth?"

"With a pump! With a pump!" Kenshin pointed at what looked like a mini blue car battery. It was an electric air pump specifically for balloons.

"Thank god." She sat facing him and commenced the necessary task.

"I already did one-hundred and fifty. They're in garbage bags in the lobby."

"Oh, that's what those were."

"While you do that, I'm going to prepare the parcel."

"Parcel?"

"For 'Pass the Parcel.'" She still looked confused. "It'll be a game for our homeroom tomorrow night. Everyone sits in a circle and passes the parcel around. Each layer is unwrapped by one person as it is being passed."

"Oh, I get it. You don't know how many layers there will be and who will end up with the grand prize, right?"

"Yes, but I put a twist: each layer has a treat," he produced a bag of snacks, "or a challenge."

Kaoru deadpanned him. "Like sing a Britney Spears song?"

"I don't know why you guys hate it so much. It's funny to me," he merrily mused to himself. He looked at her filling up the balloons while in a yukata. There was something very attractive about her to him. In truth, she was not the prettiest woman he ever encountered, or the funniest, or the smartest, or the most charming. Yet she was very present, kind, and compassionate. Just through a simple conversation, she made him feel he was the only one that mattered. Perhaps it wasn't true. "How are you liking the class trip so far?" he asked to distract his negative thoughts. "Disappointed that we didn't go to Kyoto or Okinawa?"

"Not at all. I've already been to all the tourist sites with my family. I like the way you thought out this trip. I can tell you really care about your students."

"Actually, I just wanted a place with an onsen."

"Right. That's why after dinner for our homeroom meeting you gave a lecture on how to properly save and spend money, and build good credit."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I might have gone a little overboard there."

"Well, I thought it was great. You're preparing us for the real world."

"Do you think I took it too far?"

"It doesn't hurt to have one more person look out for us."

Her smile warmed him. "So why is it that this is your first class trip?"

Kaoru tied another balloon. "I was homeschooled since I can last remember. My family had to travel a lot because of my father's job, so my mother teaching me at home was the most consistent form of schooling for me. I don't know if I mentioned it to you, but my parents passed away, so I had to finish my last year of high school in a public school."

"When?"

"My father when I was twelve and my mother when I was sixteen." Kaoru wasn't fond of sharing that part of her life. Not because it was painful for her, but because people always reacted awkwardly after hearing it.

Kenshin was sad to hear this, only because he was too familiar with the need to grow up faster than one should. Yet he believed people were only given what they could handle. With newfound respect he said, "You're very strong."

* * *

After some time passed, Kenshin paused his wrapping and proceeded to make his bed. "You must be uncomfortable sitting on the floor for so long," he straightened out the futon. "Here, sit on this."

"Oh, I'm okay." Actually, she felt like her butt had a ninety degree bend in it.

"I promise I won't pull any fast moves."

"Then I'm definitely not sitting on it," she quipped playfully as she sat herself on the edge of the futon.

The two continued to work well into the night. They chatted every so often, but their silences were also comfortable and familiar. It was as though they knew each other for years and were not out of each other's bounds.

The clock read one-thirty.

"Himura-sensei, can I take a break?" Kaoru asked with a yawn, though she was already starting to lie on her side.

"I'm sorry, you must be so tired. Let's call it a day here and you can just go to sleep. I'll take care of the rest."

"No, no, just a quick nap and I'll be as good as new." Kaoru was too tired to even walk back to her room. Curling in fetal position, she said, "Just ten minutes, okay?"

"Come on," he grabbed her coat, "I'll take you back to the-"

She started to snore.

Kenshin gently covered her with a blanket. He inflated the remaining balloons, put all of them in garbage bags, moved them to the lobby, then finished wrapping the parcel. Worried that the noise might wake Kaoru, he tried to be as quiet and quick as his skills would allow. After thirty minutes he gently shook her shoulder. "Kaoru-san. Kaoru-san." She didn't stir. Kenshin watched her sleep for a moment. She looked happy even when sleeping. Her skin looked smooth and soft, and he wanted to remind himself how it exactly felt. He placed his calloused palm gently against her jaw, his thumb caressing her cheek. "Kaoru."

In normal circumstances, Kaoru would have woken quickly and have been alert. The combination of her lack of sleep the night before, cross-country skiing in the afternoon, and sleeping late tonight caused her to be drunk with lethargy. Kenshin lifted her upper body to put her coat on. While doing this she roused from her sleep. "Hm? Did I snore?"

"Yes."

"No lying." Her words slurred.

"You must be very tired." The redhead tried to get her to stand.

"Did ten minutes pass?"

"Yes, but the work is all done now."

Although her eyes were closed, her brow still furrowed. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because you looked so happy to be sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you."

She smiled. "I'm happy now."

"I'm happy too." One last tug. She wouldn't stand.

"Are you going to carry me like a princess?" She held out her arms.

Kenshin lifted her with ease. "As you wish, your highness." He headed for the door.

"Don't carry me, I'm not a baby!"

He immediately put her down. He waited, and when he felt she was sleep-standing, he opened the door. Then he felt her lean her head against his back.

"I want to be your equal," he heard her say.

"You are my equal."

"No," she whined as though crying, "you think I'm just a little girl."

"On the contrary," he took her hand and led her out of his room, hoping no one would be out at this time of night.

"Do you think I'm a woman?"

"Painfully so."

"Why is it painful?" Again, her brows furrowed. They reached the exit doors. Kaoru made a loud shiver as the chill reached her. Kenshin put his arm around her as he walked her back to her lodge. He held her hand again when they reached inside the lodge so as not to lose her. "I like this," Kaoru nuzzled his hand to her cheek as though it were a ball of fur.

Kenshin watched her with amusement, wondering if she would remember any of this tomorrow. They arrived at her room. "Kaoru-san, thank you so much for your help tonight. I owe you one," he whispered.

"You are welcome," she emphasized each word as she faced him and now held both his hands. Her eyes were closed but she was smiling. "Do you want to kiss me goodnight?"

His breath caught. _Should I?_ "I shouldn't."

"I know," she giggled. "Just wanted to know if you wanted to."

He squeezed her hands. "Go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"No, I'll see _you _in the morning," she pointed her finger like her hand was a gun, then winked while both eyes were still closed. She fumbled for the door knob and whispered, "Goodnight, Kenshin-sensei," and closed the door.

He sighed. "Goodnight, Kaoru."


	8. Chapter 8

**November 6 – Class Trip: Day 2**

"KAORU! WAKE UP!"

Kaoru woke with a start. There must be an earthquake right now because she felt the whole world moving. Then she realized it was Misao shaking the living daylights out of her. "Mi-sa-ooo-I'm-m-up-p!"

The smaller friend finally stopped. "Jesus, you slept like a rock. What time did you get back? It doesn't matter; you have ten minutes to get to the dining hall."

"Ten minutes?!" Kaoru threw off her blanket and got dressed immediately.

Misao folded her friend's futon and blanket. "We'll meet you there, okay?"

"Okay! Thanks, Misao!" Kaoru dashed to the communal bathroom to wash up. Dear lord, how could she have slept through the other girls waking up and getting ready? She must have been exhausted. How did she even get back to her room? _Oh god! _She stopped in her tracks. _Did I actually ask Kenshin if he wanted to kiss me?_ _He must think I'm some kind of lecher. _She mentally slapped herself. _C'mon, Kaoru, you don't have time to think about that!_ Upon arriving at the bathroom, she walked in on Megumi and her two minions applying their makeup. They stared at her with malice. Her instincts told her to bolt and forego washing up, but she felt that she should stand her ground. Kaoru proceeded to brush her teeth.

"My, my, Kaoru. Did you sleep in? That explains why you always look half-done." Megumi purred. Her friends snickered.

Kaoru stared at her reflection.

Megumi took a couple of steps forward. "How's your hand?"

No response.

"You know Makoto doesn't actually like you. He's only flirting with you to make me jealous."

Kaoru washed her face.

"You're walking on thin ice, Kaoru," she threatened in a whisper and took another step. "I'm warning you. Stay away from Makoto."

Still nothing.

"Are you listening to me?"

Kaoru pat-dried her face with her towel and finally looked at Megumi. "You have lipstick on your teeth."

Megumi gasped and covered her mouth. Looking at her reflection, she slightly bared her teeth and realized nothing was there. She was about to yell at Kaoru, but she had already left for the dining hall.

* * *

The afternoon consisted of three activities in rotation. Group One started with 'Follow the Leader' where all had to go through an obstacle course guided by rope because they were blindfolded. This focused on listening and leadership. Group Two started with a derivation of 'Minesweeper' where they had to partner up and pop balloons. This focused on communication and teamwork. Group Three started with a survival course where they were taught how to make a fire with raw materials, how to navigate, and how to handle emergencies.

Kaoru was in Group Two, along with Makoto and Megumi. Of course. The group stood in the center of the same field as yesterday, which was sprinkled with randomly placed red and blue balloons. A semi-circle formed around Kenshin while he gave instructions as the facilitator.

"For this activity, you will be divided into two teams: red and blue. Within these teams, you will pair up and pop your respective balloon. This can be done by either sitting or stepping on it. The team with the most popped balloons wins. Now, the catch is, one partner will be blindfolded," he passed out blue and red blindfolds only to the girls, "and the other must verbally direct his or her partner to as many balloons as possible. This requires teamwork and communication. Teamwork because you don't want to go after the same balloon as your team members. Communication because you need to give accurate directions, while the other needs to listen carefully." Kenshin returned to the front of the group with his hands on his hips. "That being said, the reason why I handed the blindfold to the girls is because it has been statistically proven that women communicate better than men."

The girls hummed in agreement.

"So, to even out the playing field, you must pair up with someone of the opposite gender, ideally someone from a different homeroom. Sounds simple enough?"

Everyone buzzed with excitement.

Kenshin felt Kaoru glaring at him. He wondered why. "Alright. There are a few rules. Number one: no running. We don't want any injuries. Number two: no physical contact with anyone. No touching your teammates, no touching your opponent. Number three: no peeking if you're blindfolded. Got it? If I see anyone breaking the rules, I'll blow this whistle," he held up a silver whistle, "and point at you. That means you and your partner are disqualified. At the midway point of the game, I will blow the whistle for five seconds and tell you to switch, so the partner blindfolded will then become the guide. I'll give you a few minutes to pick your partners."

The students frantically sought their partners.

"Makoto," Megumi called, "help me tie on my blindfold."

"Nah," he shook his head, "I can't be your partner. Has to be someone not from our homeroom." He ditched an offended Megumi's side and ran over to Kaoru. She was in the middle of accepting another boy's offer when Makoto walked up to him, practically toe-to-toe, and snarled, "Get lost." The boy ran as though on fire.

Kaoru crossed her arms, very much unimpressed. "You could have just asked."

"Hell no, I'm not going to ask him permission if I can be your partner."

"Me. Ask _me_."

Kenshin gave his last instruction. "If you have the blindfold, you must spin three times when I say 'go.'"

"Oh. Well, how 'bout it?" Makoto asked.

A part of Kaoru worried what Megumi might do next. Another part of her told her not to back down. Her decision would be based on her own terms, not anyone else's.

"Ready?" Kenshin called.

"I have no choice, do I?" she said with annoyance.

"Here, let me tie that on for you."

"No touching!" she snapped and quickly tied on the blue blindfold.

"Go!"

Kaoru spun three times and put out her arms for security. Everyone began yelling all at once.

"Kaoru, this is Makoto. This is my voice. Can you hear me? This is the sound of the voice you must follow."

"I hear you! Where do I go?"

"Turn and walk straight. No, the other way! You turned too far! Go back. Not step back, turn back!"

Kaoru wanted to pull out her hair. "Try to tell me in the number of degrees and steps."

"Take nine steps forward and turn thirty-eight degrees."

"Are you sure it isn't thirty-seven?"

"Just do it!"

"Don't yell at me!" But Kaoru did as instructed and popped her first balloon. She cheered with delight. "Okay, next one!"

Six balloons later, the History teacher blew the whistle for five seconds. "Switch! When I say 'go,' spin three times. Ready?"

Makoto secured the blindfold.

"Go!"

He spun three times.

Kaoru was super focused. "Okay, you're going to take three steps left and eight steps forward – where are you going?"

"I can feel a balloon over here!"

"There's no balloon there!"

"I know it's there!"

"Makoto! Just listen! Now you have to take two steps right and six steps forward."

He did as instructed, but went a little too fast.

"Wait! Stop!"

He bumped into someone. "Watch it, bitch!"

Kaoru was at his side. "_You_ watch it! And that's our teammate."

"Hurry and tell me where to go!"

Kaoru silently stomped and yelled and shook her fists in utter frustration. She resumed her composure and kept her voice calm. "Okay, there is a balloon ten feet away from us. Just turn ninety degrees and walk straight. I'll tell you when to stop."

He finally listened.

"Stop! Okay, it's right in front of you."

With a mighty stomp, Makoto popped his first balloon. "Fuck yeah!"

This went on for the remaining ten minutes of the activity. Makoto popped a total of three balloons. Kenshin counted the remaining balloons. "The red team popped fifty-one balloons, and the blue team popped fifty-six balloons. Blue team wins!"

Members of the blue team cheered.

"See?" Makoto said to Kaoru. "We make a pretty good team. You just need to work on your communication skills."

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

"Okay," Kenshin continued, "everyone please help pick up the balloon pieces and randomly place the new balloons for the next group." Kenshin walked around with a garbage bag to collect the balloon pieces from students. When he reached Kaoru he asked, "How was it?"

Her expression was stony. "You just _had_ to make the partners mixed from another homeroom."

Kenshin laughed. "Didn't like your partner?"

"That is an understatement."

"You looked like you were having fun."

Kaoru threw a handful of trash in the bag. "I'm pretty sure three of my hairs turned white."

He patted her shoulder. "You'll be fine." He laughed again when she threw him another glare as she walked away.

* * *

Today had been a long, long day for the History teacher. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep from the night before, or that he didn't get to do his morning exercise, or that he was getting older, or all of the above, but he was mentally and physically drained. A remedy, however, was on his mind since he woke up: the onsen.

This facility's hot spring was by far not the highest quality onsen Kenshin had been to, but it was a hot spring all the same. In fact, this was largely the reason why he suggested this site in the first place. There was nothing more relaxing than soaking in the warmth of the natural minerals Mother Nature bestowed. All day he looked forward to that delicious frustration of wanting to get out of the freezing cold but not being able to plunge into the heat of the water.

The shower room was empty. This was a good sign. Since he ended the homeroom session a little early, his students got to have that much more free time. They were more likely to play in the snow or in their rooms until lights-out. Teenagers weren't overly keen on hot springs anyway. At least not teenage boys. Kenshin took his time scrubbing himself down. He was so tired, and the warm stream of water flowing down his back was so comforting that he could have slept in the showers. But there was something better in store for him. He wrapped a towel around his waist and headed outside. Walking out into the seclusion of the hot spring, there was a serene quietude that hung in the air. It was freezing cold, and he could see the steam of the onsen from behind the bamboo wall, promising a night of relaxation. Perfect, he thought with a sigh. Kenshin began to un-tuck the towel around his waist. _I have the place all to myse-_

A little less than fifteen girls were staring at him as he rounded the corner.

Kenshin immediately covered his eyes. _Shit! Ah, what do I do? _"Sorry, ladies, I didn't see anything, I promise. I thought this was the men's side. I'm so sorry. I'll just get out of here." He took one step back.

"Get him!" one student shouted. A pack of teenage girls swarmed the red head, dragging him by the arms, pushing against his shoulders, to keep him in their side of the onsen.

"Get him in the water! Get him in the water!"

"Look at those thighs!"

"Look at those pecs!"

"Don't let him go!"

"Oro?!" The teacher didn't know how to handle the flaming amounts of estrogen he was being consumed by. Kenshin held onto his towel as though it were life itself while being dragged into the hot spring. Girls were 'helping' him adjust to the temperature by scooping the water onto his body, violating his shoulders and arms, squeezing and poking his flesh as though he were a piece of meat.

"Himura-sensei, your arms feel like rock!"

"Do you work out?"

"Are your shoulders round because of bone or muscles, Himura-sensei?"

"Can I touch your six-pack?"

"I've never seen muscles there before!"

They pulled at his forearms. "Sensei, it's okay to open your eyes. We're all covered."

Kenshin opened one eye a millimetre. All the girls were wrapped in towels. _Oh no._ "You ladies aren't supposed to be wearing towels in the onsen."

"Should we take them off?" the girls laughed.

_I have to get out of here!_ He desperately sought an escape. Or hero. _Kaoru!_ She was passing by calmly without even looking towards him. Kenshin reached out through the crowd of girls to grab her arm. He was able to bring her close to him, but the group of fanatics still adhered. "Kaoru-san, please save me. Where are you going? Don't leave me. Help!"

Kaoru smiled sweetly at the poor teacher. "But you look like you're having so much fun." She put her hand over his-

"I'm not. Kaoru."

-lifted his fingers-

"You'll be fine."

-and slipped out of his grip.

"Please! Wait!"

* * *

"What's all that noise?"

The twelve or so boys in the adjacent hot spring tried to peek through the bamboo wall. One student made a guess. "I think I hear a man's voice."

Sanosuke jumped at the hope of being in a hot spring with girls. Literally. Onto Soujiro. He balanced on the poor guy's shoulders as he gripped the top of the wall. To his dismay, all the girls were wrapped in towels. But then, "Oi! Himura-sensei is in there! It's co-ed!"

Instantly the men's side of the hot spring was empty.

A few moments later, teenage boys (wrapped in towels) stormed the women's hot spring. The girls shrieked at the sudden roaring and splashing.

Kenshin gaped. _And this is why we'll be banned from the facility._ He tried to slip away from his teenage fans, but was caught by another teenager.

"Himura-sensei!" Sanosuke had him in a head-lock. "Why were you hiding this body from us?" He wasn't actually interested in the teacher's body; but since the man was surrounded by a group of girls, he deemed it to be the perfect ploy. "I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover, right ladies?"

The girls giggled.

He released the red head. "Who would have thought a History teacher, or chief editor of a school newspaper, would possess such a godly physique?" He puffed out his chest and flexed his biceps.

The girls looked rather impressed. Then one said, "Yeah! You guys are like Batman and Robin! Himura-sensei is Batman and Sanosuke is Robin." It was an accurate analogy, but not a fair comparison. Though Sanosuke had a good foundation, Kenshin was more thickset, something that could only be gained from experience over time of which the elder had a twelve year plus advantage.

The young man wouldn't be overlooked. "_I'm_ Robin? But I'm the tall one!" Again, it was true. He stood half a head taller than the teacher.

"But Himura-sensei can grow a beard." Kenshin wanted to take advantage of the casual trip environment and not worry about shaving, so he left his razor at home. Two days' worth of scruff grew along his upper lip, chin, and jaw. The girl stepped closer to the younger man. "You only have –"

"That's enough from you," Sanosuke playfully pushed her into the water. He then pointed his finger at Kenshin. "Himura-sensei, I challenge you to a duel."

Purple eyes widened. "Duel?"

"Arm wrestling match!"

Everyone cheered. Kenshin bashfully put up his hands. "No, no. No, no, no." He was pushed, pulled and dragged to a bench by both male and female. "Ah, please, I don't think I can." Students surrounded the pair and chanted his surname. Kenshin shook his head.

Sanosuke kneeled on the opposite side of the stone bench and propped up his elbow. "What's wrong, sensei? Afraid you'll lose to a teenager?"

Kenshin smiled widely. "Very much so."

"Come on! There's gotta be someone here you want to impress! Where's Yukishiro-sensei?" he joked.

Kenshin looked up and saw that Kaoru was watching from afar. She was smiling with her arms crossed. "Alright."

"YAY!" everyone cried.

Soujiro acted as ref by holding the already clasped hands. "Ready? On three. One! Two! Three!"

Kenshin was genuinely surprised at the jock's strength. The boy was able to resist Kenshin's force, causing their hands to remain at ninety degrees. Granted, Kenshin was only using about ten percent of his strength. He had no plans on humiliating the boy. At least not yet.

Sanosuke also didn't expel his full potential. After realizing that the teacher was indeed strong, he decided to rely on his wrestling tactics. He curved his wrist inward. The teacher's arm gave in a little. The young man smiled while snarling. Kenshin looked amused. _The hell? Why isn't he struggling?_ Sanosuke roared and put his body weight into the wrestle.

Kenshin realized his expression was impassive, so he started to grunt and contort his face. His arm gained more ground and he held it there for a moment. He glanced in Kaoru's direction and saw that she was still watching. He really did want to impress her. So he amped up the struggle and turned down the strength. His arm lowered and lowered, his knuckles almost touching stone. Everyone was going wild. Kenshin gave one last shout. His hand hit the bench.

Sanosuke jumped with his fists up in victory. "Yeah! Yeah!" Girls and guys surrounded him in congratulations. He went up to Kenshin and put out his hand. "Good match, sensei. You're one hell of an opponent."

Kenshin shook it heartily. "Likewise, Sano." He wondered what the kid would be like in a spar.

"Woo hoo!" the jock continued his jubilation.

The teacher was glad he was no longer the center of attention. Now was the perfect time to escape. He snuck out of the onsen and headed for the men's shower room.

* * *

Kaoru stepped out of the shower room and into the dim foyer. It wasn't past eleven yet, but the staff must have shut down the power. She regretted not leaving with Misao, but she really wanted to take advantage of the facility and be squeaky clean. She walked down towards the hall that led to a shortcut to the girls' lodge. The lights were off and she felt a little eerie, so she made for a quick exit and braced herself for the outdoor chill.

A hand suddenly covered her mouth while an arm caged her by the waist. Kaoru was crushed against something very solid. And warm.

"Where do you think you're going?" a deep voice whispered against her ear.

Kaoru panicked. _Oh god, who did Megumi hire this time?_ She was about to scream when she was swiftly swept off her feet. Her eyes widened upon seeing her captor. "Kenshin!"

"Ssh!" He bent his head down, his nose almost touching hers. "You think you can just abandon me so easily and get away with it?" He pretended he was about to drop her. She shrieked and grabbed onto his neck. "Ssh. Don't scream or I might actually drop you." He proceeded to walk up the stairs to the loft.

"Where did you come from?" she whispered, still bewildered.

"Don't change the subject. You saw a poor, defenseless man in the hands of carnal teenage girls," he began to tickle her in the side, "and you just left him there."

Kaoru wriggled wildly while trying not to fall. This was especially difficult since she was trying to stay quiet. "You . . . could . . . have . . . left!"

"You could have helped me." He carried her close to the rail overlooking the foyer. "Are you sorry you didn't help me?"

"But you were having fun!" She felt him set her on the rail. She buried her face in his neck to muffle her yelp.

"That was the very opposite of what I call fun. This, however," he increased his tickling, "brings me great pleasure."

"Okay! Okay! I give up!"

"Hm? I don't understand."

"I'm sorry!"

He took her off the rail but still held her. "Sorry about what?"

"Sorry you didn't have fun."

"Not good enough." He constricted his hold on her and carried her to an armchair against the back wall. Now that he was sitting with her perpendicular in his lap, he could use both hands for a thorough attack.

Kaoru squirmed and pushed against his chest. She restrained her laughter so much that she found it difficult to breathe. "Okay!" she gasped. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I should have saved you! Please! Stop!"

"Ssh."

Kaoru could tell from Kenshin's sudden stillness that she really should be quiet. A few seconds later the doors of the locker rooms opened and the remaining of the students returned to their respective lodges. A few students lingered in the foyer, apparently continuing a conversation from the hot spring. When it seemed as though they would remain on the main level for a while, Kaoru felt Kenshin relax. She followed suit, leaning into his warmth with her profile fitting in the crook of his neck. His arm cradled her back, his hand holding her forearm. His other arm held her securely by the hip, resting slightly on her legs that were slung over the arm of the chair. Her hand lay flat on his chest. She could feel his heart beating rapidly. His skin was warm and smelled lightly of bar soap.

The sound of the last students leaving was heard, and Kenshin adjusted Kaoru in his lap so he could hold her closer. His right thumb stroked her forearm while he leaned his cheek against her hair. He felt Kaoru's fingertips trace his skin at the neckline of his waffle-print shirt. He had no intention of leaving any time soon.

"I saw you let Sano win," Kaoru said quietly. Her long fingers moved along his collarbone. "That was very kind of you."

Kenshin's response was delayed. She probably didn't know what effect she had when she touched him. His mouth felt dry, so he swallowed before he spoke. "Kind of like when you gave away those dolls, right?"

"What dolls?"

Her lashes tickled his neck. "From the Matsuri festival. The little dogs I won for you."

Kaoru looked up at him. "Oh yeah! I forgot about that."

"What? You forgot?" The hand that was on her hip moved to trap her face. Kaoru quietly squealed when she felt him nip her nose with his teeth. He pressed his forehead against hers and playfully growled, "How could you forget our first date?"

"Because I had to." Their smiles faded. They were beginning their descent back to reality. Kaoru wasn't quite ready to step off the cloud yet. Her fingers reached up to feel the stubble on his chin. "I missed you," she whispered.

He knew she referred to the time when he was still a possibility. His hand moved to the nape of her neck, intertwining with her long hair. "I should have kissed you that night."

Her pulse quickened. "I should have let you."

Looking down at her slightly parted lips, Kenshin leaned his head towards hers. He heard her swallow.

"You shouldn't," she whispered when his lips were but a hair away.

"I know."

And then he kissed her.

There was nothing tender about this kiss. It was hard and full of need and longing. The first day he walked into Café Tae and she smiled at him from across the room; seeing her with her hair down on their first date; feeling the smoothness of her back on the pier; her look of concentration while working next to him almost daily at his desk; these all built the pent-up desire he stored over the past five months, and it was all being released right now. His right arm held her tightly against him, turning her slightly so that her chest was pressed to his. His left hand was as frantic as his kiss, cupping her cheek, tangling in her hair, caressing her back and ribcage. His mouth was hot as it moved over hers. He briefly allowed her to catch her breath, but their upper lips remained connected. When she opened her mouth and took one full breath, he took advantage and closed the gap. It was a kiss meant to seduce and overwhelm.

And overwhelmed she was. Whatever butterflies she had in her stomach turned into raging rhinos. When she felt his tongue touch hers, she felt a jolt of electricity strike through all the way to her toes. She tightened her arm around his neck and clutched onto the front of his shirt. This was her first kiss and she didn't know what to do, but he didn't give her much time to think about that. All she knew was that when his tongue stroked hers, she wanted to reciprocate the pleasure. Her skin felt raw from the scrape of his stubble and she wanted more. He retracted slightly, so she took his bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled gently. She heard a growl that couldn't have been entirely human, and he suddenly pulled her head back for her mouth to open for him.

He plunged deeply, wanting her, all of her. Her lips were soft and responsive. She tasted warm and a little sweet. "Kaoru," he whispered against her lips before claiming them again. He felt her hand move up his chest to his neck, under his shirt, along his trapezius to his shoulder. This rendered his thoughts completely useless. His mouth slanted over hers repeatedly, trying to consume her as he was with need. His lips moved to kiss the corner of her mouth when he tasted something moist and salty. He looked to see a tear stream down her cheek.

"Kenshin, I can't." And she was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**November 7 – Class Trip: Day 3**

The morning was a busy one. Today's itinerary consisted of two options: One was to tour the village at the base of the mountain. This included visiting a famous brewery, a ramen shop where they hand-made their noodles, and going shopping. Most of the girls, as well as Masaoka-sensei and Tomoe, went to this option as they were more interested in taking pictures and being indoors. The other was to ski at a neighboring resort. This was considered a locals' resort due to its smaller size, but it was reputed to have excellent snow quality and runs for all levels. Kaoru and the gang went to this option to snowboard rather than ski.

Upon arriving at the resort, students who needed rentals followed Takeda-sensei, while students who brought their own gear followed Kenshin. Sanosuke and Soujiro belonged in the latter group. They stuffed their belongings in a locker and joined the History teacher outside on a bench to lace up their boots. The class president looked at Kenshin's worn boots. "Those look like they've been through a lot," he noted.

Kenshin finished lacing his first boot and pulled his pant leg over it. "Yeah, they treated me well over the years."

"How long have you been boarding?"

"I had to learn at a young age. Maybe six or seven."

"Six or seven?!" Soujiro and Sanosuke both exclaimed.

Kenshin held up his hands. "Please don't think I'm very good. It's more embarrassing that you know how early I started when my level is not nearly as close to what it should be." He wasn't trying to be modest. He really only did know how to board fast and land basic jumps. There hadn't been much practicality for him to learn tricks. "How about you guys? When did you start?"

Soujiro answered, "We both started four years ago. We took lessons near Tokyo."

"How long have you guys known each other?"

"Pretty much since we were born," Sanosuke put Soujiro in a playful headlock. "We became friends in elementary school, but we happened to be born in the same hospital."

"Misao too." Soujiro adjusted his goggles to fit on his helmet. "We all grew up together, but we didn't become close until junior high. Time isn't too relevant, though. It feels like Kaoru's been with us all that time, even though it's only been two months. I think Misao is glad to finally have a girl in our group."

Kenshin smiled. "It's great to have friends from your childhood." It was easy for the teacher to mask his true thoughts and emotions, but he was having a hard time dealing with what those actually were. _Why was Kaoru crying? What can't she do? Obviously she can't be traipsing around kissing you whenever you lose control. Idiot. What the hell is wrong with you? You never lose it over a woman._ He recalled the warmth of her tongue, the height of her response. _Maybe this lifestyle is making me weak. Or maybe she's making me weak. Weak in the knees, that is._ He mentally laughed at his own 'wit'. _Maybe she has a boyfriend. She felt guilty she was cheating on him so she became upset and cried. _Kenshin realized his hand was balled in a fist, ready to punch his adversary in the face. Then he wanted to punch his own face. _Himura, you fucking fool. How can you even think Kaoru is like that? She treats everyone with kindness and respect. If she had a boyfriend, she would treat him well and never disrespect him (or herself) by cheating. He would be one lucky son of a bitch. _He slammed his helmet on a little harder than necessary. _I wish it would be me._

* * *

Kaoru and Misao lined up with twenty-something students to get their gear. Since they were both beginners, they needed everything from outerwear to equipment. While waiting in line for the rentals, a conversation could be overhead nearby. A Caucasian man with a red jacket and long curly brown hair was trying to ask an employee something with little success. "No, I'm asking if you have snowboard lockers," he asked again in English. Since this was a mountain predominantly used by locals, the poor worker barely spoke any English.

But Takeda Kanryu did.

"Students, I'll be back." The lanky teacher pushed up his glasses and strutted over to the rescue. He gave the two men a wide smile and said, "Herro!"

The men stared blankly.

"Can I help you?" Kanryu offered with a thick but understandable accent.

"Great! You can speak English!" exclaimed the Caucasian man.

"Yes, I can speak English," Kanryu said with pride as the students looked very much impressed. "I'm English teacher at high school."

"That's fantastic, mate." His relief was visual. "Could you please ask him if there are any snowboard lockers?"

"Snowboard. Oh! You like snowboard! What is your name?"

The man was slightly thrown off. "Jeff. You?"

"My name is Takeda Kanryu. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," he laughed.

"Where are you from?"

"Australia."

"Australia! How are you?"

"I'm fine, but I just want to know if I can store my snowboard in a locker when I want to go have lunch."

Kanryu paused. This was a rather long sentence that he couldn't quite grasp. What the hell was a 'rocka'? Maybe some strange American type of rock-and-roll sandwich. He resumed his enthusiastic smile. "You want eat snowboard _rocka_ for lunch?"

"Um, no, not eat it. I just want to put my snowboard in one. Pay," the Australian began to act out his explanation, "and put my snowboard in safely. Safe. No stealing."

Kenshin, Sanosuke and Soujiro entered the rental building to see Takeda Kanryu attempting communication with a foreigner, the both of them motioning like monkeys.

"Loc-ker," the Aussie enunciated while creating a large rectangle with his hands and bending to the ground.

"Rock-uh," the English teacher repeated the action in utter confusion.

Kenshin approached Kanryu. "Is everything alright?"

"Ah, yes, yes," he reverted to Japanese. "I'm just trying to figure out what this man is wanting, but his accent is hard to understand. I think he is saying that he wants to know where he should eat lunch while snowboarding."

"Maybe I can help." Kenshin turned to the Aussie. "Hi. Was there something I could help translate?" he asked in English with a barely-there accent.

"Yes!" he shouted with joy. "I would love some help! I just want to know if there are snowboard lockers."

"I think this resort doesn't have actual lockers, but they do have a place where they'll hold your board for you for a small fee. It's like a coat-check system."

"That great, that's perfect. Do you know where it is?"

"It's actually close to the cafeteria. Just go out these doors," he pointed at the double-doors he came from, "then make a right around the corner. It looks like a giant chicken coop. You can't miss it."

"Thanks, man. Really appreciate it. What's your name?" He held out his hand.

Kenshin shook it. "Kenshin."

"I'm Jeff. Great running into you."

"Not a problem. Have a good one."

The Australian picked up his snowboard and walked out the doors. Everyone's jaws were on the floor.

Sanosuke put the red head in a headlock. "Himura-sensei! You just keep getting cooler and cooler!"

Students started asking questions all at once. "Where did you learn English?"

"Are you actually American?"

"Are you a spy?"

"Can you be my English teacher?"

Kenshin waved his hands at the latter question. "Knowing a language and teaching one are two very different things." He put his hand on Kanryu's shoulder with a solid pat. "Takeda-sensei is very good at what he does." Kenshin did feel a small amount of pride though. He was used to being expected to know English, but now he was able to fascinate the whole room just by speaking a few sentences. Wondering if Kaoru was at all impressed, he stole a millisecond glance, but she was busy lacing her boots. He sighed. "Takeda-sensei, I'm going to go ahead with the students who are ready."

"Alright, see you there." That actually wasn't likely. Kanryu was still considered a beginner, so he didn't feel comfortable going beyond the green trails. Kenshin only did blue and black.

Misao finished gearing up first. "Wasn't Himura-sensei so cool? The way he spoke in his snowboard jacket and pants with his goggles on his helmet?" The shorter girl imitated the History teacher in an overly exaggerated way.

Kaoru's mouth tilted. "Yeah, he looked pretty cool." In truth, her mind was too preoccupied on what his mouth did last night than what it did just now. A heavy guilt weighed within her for running off like that; but if she didn't, who knows how far she would have let him gone? She obviously couldn't control herself, so fleeing was the next best alternative. She knew her limits and boundaries. Her life had been a hard one, and it took even more effort to bear it with a smile. She lost her father, her mother, her home, her life . . . why would she set herself up for failure to lose her first love? Sure, they were physically attracted to each other and liked each other, but she knew it took more than that to have a successful relationship. Kaoru wasn't the type to have short-term flings or one-night stands, or even a just-for-fun boyfriend. She had things to do, goals in life to achieve, and if a man wanted to be with her, he had to prove that it would be better going through life being in a relationship than being single, which she currently enjoyed. Time was precious to her, and she would not waste it on boyfriends who would come and go. If she couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel, the relationship should be kaput.

With Kenshin, not only could she not see a light, but the tunnel was completely blocked off. They were at different stages of life. He had a career. She was still in school. She made around $800 a month. He made around $3000 a month. He was still technically young (under thirty) and probably still wanted to date and 'sow his wild oats'. She was young too, but after all she went through she was ready to settle down as soon as possible. Most importantly, she was his student and he her teacher. No, falling for him would be too painful. Yesterday her heart had already begun to crack. But she couldn't show her feelings to Misao. Putting on a bright smile, she said to her friend, "Ready to go?"

* * *

Kaoru and Misao were aching for calories by the time they reached the resort cafeteria. They arranged to meet Soujiro and Sanosuke by one o'clock. Leaving their rental boards against the racks, they hobbled their way in to grab their lunch. They carried their trays, walking with uncertainty, then found their friends already sitting at a table with their food. And Kenshin.

_Ohhhh noooooo._ Kaoru wanted to hide. How awkward was this going to be? _Super awkward_. _Should I say hi to him? Do I ignore him? What if he ignores me? _She decided it was best to just ignore herself and act as normal as possible.

"Hey guys," Soujiro greeted as they approached the table.

"Doing well!" Kaoru practically shouted with wide eyes and mouth. _And let's reduce the overcompensation, shall we?_

Kenshin had stood from his seat when the girls arrived. He knew Kaoru was trying to act like nothing happened. He hoped her friends would accept her goofy behavior without question.

"What's wrong with you?" Sanosuke spat.

"Oh my god, we are SO tired!" Misao ground out as she took the offered seat beside Kenshin. "We only went on two runs in three hours."

Kaoru sat next to Sanosuke, across from Kenshin. She was too embarrassed to look at him so she made herself busy by hanging up her jacket. There was only so much one could do when hanging up a jacket on the back of a chair, so Kaoru eventually sat down.

"We hung out the entire time with Himura-sensei," Sanosuke boasted. "He's _really_ good. You should see him. We had a race. Me, Sou, and Himura-sensei. When I said, 'go,' I really thought we were equally matched. Sometimes I would be in the lead, sometimes Sou, sometimes sensei. Two-thirds down the run, Himura-sensei says, 'bye guys,' like he was going home for the day, and BAM! He was gone like some fucking torpedo on a mission!"

"I felt bad," Soujiro said to Kenshin, "You always had to wait for us at the bottom of the hill."

Kenshin wiped his mouth. "It wasn't a long wait at all. You guys are really good."

The jock scoffed. "That's almost an insult because it's so not true. I mean, especially coming from someone like you." He now addressed the girls again. "You should have seen his jumps! We were on the black and there were some ramps. I'm shit at them, but Sou is really good; but Himura, man, it was like he was on an invisible roller coaster or something. The air he caught . . . man. I'm inspired."

"Ugh, get a room," Misao gagged. She leaned towards the teacher. "I think someone has a crush on you."

Kaoru immediately looked up but at least had enough control not to say anything. She continued eating silently.

"Himura-sensei, I'm going to ask you a few personal questions," Misao turned her body towards him.

Kenshin smiled. "Go ahead."

"Are you married?"

"Misao, don't be rude!" This was from Soujiro.

"I don't mind," Kenshin said honestly. "I'm not married."

"Do you want to be?"

"Someday would be nice."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-nine."

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"Misao," Kaoru reprimanded. "Stop it. What's the point of asking all this?"

"Well, Himura is such a good teacher to us, and he's young and single and wants to get married one day. Maybe we can set him up!"

"Please don't," Kenshin begged with an awkward smile.

"What's your type?"

"Someone positive and hard-working, kind and respectful to others."

"You know a lot of students have a crush on you – cough-Sano-cough. Would you ever date a student?"

"No." There was no hesitation.

"If you were to go on a first-date, where would you go?"

Kenshin thought for a moment. "Depends on the season. I'm not really romantic so I depend on a lot on nature."

"Ah, not a romant–"

"But if it were in the summer," he interrupted, "I would go to a festival." He made eye-contact with Kaoru. "I think I could make some great memories there."

"Aw, that sounds so sweet!" cooed Misao.

"Yep, really sweet." Sanosuke stood. "I'm done eating, and now I have to go to the restroom."

"I have to go too!" Misao got out of her seat. "I'll follow you 'cause I don't know where it is."

"I should go as well," Soujiro rose and pushed his chair in.

Sanosuke frowned. "Hey, hey, hey, this isn't a potty party."

Soujiro grinned. "It is now."

The three left Kenshin and Kaoru sitting at the table in awkward silence. Kaoru knew they had to talk about it sometime. It wasn't something that they could just sweep under the rug. _Well . . . NO. _She owed him an explanation. But where should she start? With an apology. Yes, that was a wise route.

"Kenshin –"

"Kaoru –"

They spoke simultaneously.

"No, you go ahead."

"Please go ahead."

They paused for the other to speak. Again, they said at the same time, "I'm sorry. No, I'm sorry."

"I interrupted you, please go first," Kaoru urged.

"You start. I insist."

They gawked at each other before breaking out in laughter.

Kaoru was still smiling as she said, "Can we please be friends? I mean, look how well we get along. It's a waste if we just ignore each other and act all angst-y."

"I agree. I'm not ready to have you out of my life."

"Me neither. I feel happy being with you. Even if we can't date, at least we can still be friends. Friends last longer, and I'm satisfied with that."

Kenshin wasn't, but he didn't want to break the mood. "Right. But as a friend, I have a request."

"What's that?"

"Let's keep communication open. No avoiding conflict. If you're not okay with something, let me know, and I'll do the same. We'll only get stronger if we can battle it out together."

Blue eyes looked down with guilt. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run out on you like that. I just didn't know how to handle it. I didn't consider how that would make you feel, and for that I'm sorry." She looked at him square in the eye. "But I promise I won't do it again. Next time," she added matter-of-factly, "I'll just clobber you."

"Deal," the red head grinned. "I think it's safe if we call each other by name when we're alone. What do you think?"

"I'd like that."

They shared a smile that was only meant for the other. Kenshin leaned on the back of his chair. "So, friends first, and who knows what could happen later?"

Kaoru smirked. "So I'd be your backup?"

"No." My purpose, he thought; but he kept that to himself.

* * *

**November 8 – Class Trip: Day 4**

The students sprinkled the parking lot, waiting for the bus back to the airport. Some teens abandoned their luggage to play in the snow. Cliques huddled together, laughing, gossiping, or talking pictures. Megumi, her minions, Makoto and some other boys from the soccer club stood around their luggage in mild boredom.

"Ah, I wish I could have a smoke," Makoto whined.

"You might as well," said one of his friends. "What are they going to do if they catch you? Send you home?"

"Yeah! Right!" Makoto laughed and pulled out his lighter and a new pack of cigarettes. Holding the butt between his lips, he flipped open his Zippo and lit the end. And suddenly his hands and mouth were empty.

"Thanks for the new lighter," Kenshin said straight-faced and continued walking.

Makoto kicked the snow. "Fucking prick!"

His other friend threw his arm around his neck in consolation. "It's just not your week. You couldn't get Kamiya, and now you lost your favorite lighter. And a brand new pack of smokes."

"Pffft. It's not like I was trying that hard."

Megumi scoffed. "I don't even know why you want that beastly girl."

"Don't be jealous, Meg." Makoto jeered. "You know I don't like jealous girls."

"I'm not jealous. I just think you deserve better than that low-life."

A boy said, "Yeah? Like you?"

Everyone in the circle laughed including Megumi's friends. They stopped when she glowered at them.

"It's not too late, Shishio. Go ask Kamiya out. Look, she's standing by herself."

Megumi tried to be nonchalant. "She won't say yes." She relied on the point that Kaoru was scared of her.

"I bet you she will."

Megumi stuck up her nose. "Fine, do whatever you like."

"I always do," he replied smugly. "Gentleman, watch and learn." Kaoru was standing by a pile of luggage when Makoto walked straight up to her and said, "So," he lifted his chin in greeting, "what do you think of me?"

Kaoru looked at him for a moment. "I think you should wear more sunblock."

"Don't you like your men tall, dark and handsome?"

"Yes, but I don't remember ordering extra crispy."

"You're funny. You're cute and you're funny. We should go out some time," Makoto said casually.

"We should absolutely not."

Makoto was shocked. All the girls wanted to go out with him. He had never been turned down before. "Excuse me?"

"It's a no."

"No?"

"Am I not speaking clearly?" Kaoru asked with genuine concern and began to press her cheeks and stick out her tongue.

Makoto scoffed, paused, then laughed. "Okay, Little-Miss-Hard-To-Get. I see how you play. Making me bust out my A-game."

Kaoru put out her hand. "Please don't bust out anything. I'm not trying to be coy or rude. I just don't have any interest in going out with you."

"I won't take that personally."

"You should reconsider that."

Makoto wasn't sure what to do at this point. He decided to continue on the route that he would normally go. "So, I'll pick you up at your place on Saturday?"

"If you do, I'll call the police. Makoto, listen to me. You and I are from two different planets. I'm not better than you, and believe it or not, you're not better than I."

"Than _me_."

"Thank you for solidifying my point. You're going to get bored of me really fast because I'm never going to sleep with you."

"Bet I can change your mind."

Kaoru crossed her arms. "I think we should get married and have babies this spring."

"See ya." Makoto swiftly turned around and headed back to his group.

"How'd it go?" Megumi asked as casually as she could.

He let out an arrogant snort. "What do you think? I'm Shishio Makoto."

* * *

Kaoru looked out the window of the plane. How amazing it was to fly over a sea of clouds! One could practically bounce on them, they were so fluffy.

"So," Misao interrupted her daydream. "How did you like your first and last class trip?"

Kaoru reflected for a moment. She thought of the games, the activities, the food, the kiss . . . "I must say that it was wonderful. I had a lot of fun and no regrets."

"Right? Aren't you glad you came? And you said that you weren't going to come."

"Yeah, 'cause I couldn't afford it. Thankfully I was able to get the grant. I guess good grades do pay off."

"What grant?"

"The grant from the school. You know, the one that you can get if you have good grades and can prove low-income."

Misao shook her head. "The school does not give out any grants or scholarships. That's why two students from Sano's class couldn't make it. The only ones the school pays for are the teachers. How did you even hear of the grant?"

"Himura-sensei."

"Well, he either duped you or paid for you. Either way, it's not from the school."


	10. Chapter 10

**December 25**

Kenshin was in denial.

This morning he woke up feeling abnormally thirsty. He probably just slept with his mouth open the whole night. His muscles were aching, but that was because he pushed himself during his workout with Aoshi yesterday. And he felt cold because, well, it was winter. No, he wasn't sick.

The teacher drove into the school parking lot and parked his car. As he stepped out, he saw that Kaoru had also just arrived and was locking her bike to the rack. "Good morning."

She glanced up and smiled. "Good morning." She rose and had a good look at him. Her brows furrowed and she placed her hand on his forehead. "You're sick."

"No I'm not," he defended immediately.

They started walking towards the school building. A look of concern remained on Kaoru's face. "You look like you're sick."

"That's not polite." He teasingly squeezed the soft part of her arm.

"It is flu season. I think you should go to the doctor. At least the school nurse."

"I feel fine. Actually, I feel great. So great that I'm going to take you out for ice skating after Christmas* dinner tonight." He had asked her to reserve Christmas with him at the beginning of the month. As a friend, of course.

"Kenshin, I really don't mind if you have to cancel tonight. It's not like it's a date or anything." Kaoru had agreed because she thought it was the perfect opportunity to say thank you. Well, at least a small, small thank you.

Actually, this wouldn't be their first just-friends-not-a-date hang out since the class trip. Kenshin had asked her to meet him for coffee the weekend they returned so he could give her a new cellphone. It wasn't weird at all because it wasn't a new phone, but his previous phone. Any friend would do that, right? Kaoru was very appreciative because his 'old' phone was a vast improvement from her Nokia 3390.

The next weekend he asked her to lunch to try a new restaurant he had been eyeing. Just as friends, of course. A couple of weeks later he invited her to dinner since they both happened to be going home at the same time. The week after that he popped by her work just before closing and offered her a ride home. Last weekend he asked her for help to pick out small Christmas goodies for his classroom. Shopping was not his forte. Of course, he thanked her by taking her out to dinner. Again.

Every time they went out Kaoru was determined to pay him back, get the check, or at least pay her own portion. And every time Kenshin snuck his credit card to the waiter, kept Kaoru's hands busy as he handed over cash, or outright held her down as he paid the entire tab. Since it was Christmas, she now had the perfect reason to get him a gift he couldn't deny.

The redhead awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Right, right. In any case, I'm not sick so there's no need to cancel. I'm really looking forward to taking you to this one restaurant."

Kaoru's eyes lit up. "Oh! What kind of restaurant? No! Don't tell me! I want to be surprised!"

And then she was. As the pair rounded the corner, Kaoru froze as to what she saw next. It was another one of Megumi's schemes. Over the past month and a half, Kaoru was victim to being trapped in the restroom with five rats let loose; the brakes on her bike being sabotaged; and her uniform being stolen during Phys. Ed. She did not share any of these events with Kenshin. Mainly she did not want him to be concerned, but she also didn't want him to think less of her since she was mixed up with high school drama. Yet in this current moment, she wished she could have told him about the previous ones instead of what he seeing now.

Hanging on the front of the main entrance was a large banner of a professionally photographed woman with her back facing the camera. Her hair was fashioned in a traditional geisha-like knot, but it was also tousled and loose. She wore a royal blue kimono that hung seductively off of one shoulder, revealing a pale creamy back and shoulder, which she looked over. Her sapphire eyes oozed of sensuality, her red lips in a subtle pout. She looked like some form of lady of the night. She looked exactly like Kaoru.

"Oh my god," she managed to whisper.

The very alluring image would have sent Kenshin's heart racing, but he could tell that wasn't Kaoru. "I'll have that removed at once. Don't worry; everyone will realize that's not a real picture of you." He was about to call the school office when Kaoru spoke.

"That is a real picture, but that's not me." A pause. "That's my mother."

* * *

Okaguchi Kayo only wanted one thing in life: to be remembered. Perhaps she would be a famous singer, or a doctor who saved many lives, or a millionaire who helped the poor. She wanted her life to be a legacy. But as she lived day by day, year by year, it became a dream unreachable. As a child, she and her siblings were barely given anything. Her father was a gambler, her mother an alcoholic. Every day without fail she was beaten by her father. She grew up to hate him. Her mother never stopped him or protected her. She despised her too. Later, she and her siblings had to drop out of high school and find jobs to support the family. Being only sixteen, she couldn't find jobs so easily. No one wanted to hire a girl so young. She worked odd jobs here and there, but the money was not consistent or stable. Her older brother also began to beat her and call her useless for not being able to maintain her keep. She hated him too.

Kayo left home without even a penny. As she walked the night streets downtown, a man stopped her and called her beautiful. He said that she could work at his club as a _kyabajo_, a cabaret girl. No, no, it wasn't a stripper or prostitute job. She just had to entertain men and sell drinks, not to worry. She was only sixteen? No problem, he would give her a fake ID to say she was twenty. How much could she make? Well, if she became really good at her job, she could make up to $600,000 a year. Really. Why would he lie? He was an honest man. Oh, but there was a condition. Since she was underage, and he was doing her a really big favor, he got to keep a small percentage of her earnings. How small? Oh, very small. She wouldn't notice it at all.

But she did. And she resented him.

Kayo's first night on the job was a disaster. She didn't know how to talk to these forty-something year-old businessmen. They kept buying her drink after drink. Apparently her drunken state was amusing to the group. She ended the night on the bathroom floor. Her manager didn't complain. Sales were being made and that was all that mattered. The next night was equally terrible. And so was the night after that. At the end of the week, she received a payment envelope of $200. This may not seem a large sum, but to a sixteen-year old, this was a fortune.

Over the next four years her talent in the _kyabakura_ industry soared. Though her natural beauty was a prize in itself, her charm was her greatest asset. A large majority of kyabajos were of the cute variety, large-eyed and curly-haired. Kayo was a rarity among her peers. She was in every sense womanly. Her figure was more curvy, her voice husky, her mannerisms soft and subtle. She carried a mysterious air and addicting presence. The demand for her services escalated, and soon she was hired by a kyabakura meant for the elite. Men adored her, and they would lavish her with drinks, gifts and attention. Yet at the end of the session, they would always return home to their wife. How she hated men.

One night she and a several other girls were reserved for a bachelor party. A group of soldiers, her manager said. She was to accompany the groom-to-be. In came the groom with ten of his friends. He was excited, loud, and very handsome. He was an ideal client. He ordered drinks upon drinks, food, dances, the full service. He flirted with her, groped her, and even said he loved her. How positively repulsive. He blacked out from over-drinking, but the party was not yet over. Kayo knew she could milk more money from these pathetic soldiers, so she made her way over to the only man unoccupied. His name was Lieutenant Kamiya Takeru.

He was the quiet, sober type and barely gave her a smile. He asked if she was happy, a question she had never been asked before. She did not reply. One week later, he came back alone to see her. How much was her rate? Five hundred dollars? For one night? That was not including drinks? Alright. Kayo was very surprised. She thought he loathed her company since he did not speak much the previous night. During the session she worked her charm. He bought seven drinks but did not consume any. He asked her if she was happy. Now she gave a generic answer. Of course, she was happy to see him. The next week, he came back for a _dohan_, a paid date. He took her to places of his childhood and told her stories upon stories. He then took her to his house and showed her around. He asked her if she was happy. She finally said no. He said if she married him, he promised at the end of every day she would say yes. Kayo did not return to the kyabakura.

One year later, Kamiya Kayo had a daughter. She had blue eyes like her mother, and they named her Kaoru. As promised, they were happy. Takeru and Kayo took their daughter with them around the world, as was required for the soldier's job. Being a wife was healing to Kayo's soul, and being a mother was nourishment for her life. Takeru couldn't have been more proud to have such a beautiful family. When it was time for Kaoru to go to school, he wanted her to be homeschooled. But who would teach her? By Kayo, of course. But she didn't even finish high school. As a mother, she was already a teacher, he said, as their daughter already learned how to be kind and loving. She would be great. And she was. And as promised, they were very happy.

Kayo found new purpose in her life and decided to return to school to become a teacher. She joined her daughter in her at-home studying, and completed her high school degree. Her daughter praised her achievements and her husband encouraged her to apply to an online university. Kayo never thought she could have gotten this far, and as Takeru promised, she was happy.

But Kamiya Takeru had to break his promise. On their thirteenth anniversary, he was severely wounded while trying to save a colleague during a training mishap. Kayo rushed to the hospital, but he was already on his deathbed. She wept bitterly and said she would join him. He reminded her of what she went through and how strong she was, and not to disappoint him in this moment of weakness. He made her promise to live and live well for their daughter, and he would only smile in heaven for her if she smiled on earth. Yes, she promised, to live and live well.

Kayo and her daughter moved back to Tokyo. Perhaps now she could offer her daughter a more stable life. She bought a small house just outside of the city. She enrolled her daughter in a private junior high school and resumed her online courses. During her annual physical check-up, the doctor found a lump in her breast. Stage two breast cancer. What did that mean? Minor surgery and chemotherapy. How much did it cost? Oh, that costly. Even with health insurance? What choice did she have? Better to beat it early than be beat by it later.

Months passed and she needed more treatment. She had no choice but to use her savings. Tuition for the next semester was due, the mortgage was coming up, and she remembered Kaoru mentioning something about a fee for a school trip. Money was getting a little too tight. It was time for her to go back to work. She applied everywhere that required a high school diploma, but employers were more concerned with previous work history and references. Where has she worked before? She only worked at a kyabakura. Then she could only get work at a kyabakura. But good luck finding a job at her age. No, she would not step foot in one again.

Kayo finally got a job as a cashier that paid minimum wage and things became a little better financially. Kaoru made it easy for her. She didn't complain when there was only rice to eat; she volunteered not to go on the school trip; and she said she would be happy to celebrate her birthday at home. Her daughter was becoming more and more beautiful inside and out. Determined to give Kaoru the life she herself couldn't have, Kayo decided put college on hold and instead created a college savings for Kaoru. She had four years to save up $40,000 dollars. She needed another job. A few weeks later she was able to get a part-time job as a janitor in an office. Yet after careful calculations, she still wouldn't be able to save up enough money for Kaoru's college funds.

Not only that, the doctor said the cancer was growing. Rapidly. She needed to have total mastectomy. Now. The treatment wasn't very successful. The doctor estimated her to live six months to one year, but if she did another treatment, her life could be extended to four. Kayo was financially set back more than ever. In fact, she now had debt. Kaoru had already returned to homeschooling to help take care of her and save money. Was it worth it to be in that much debt only to live an extra three years? She remembered her promise to her husband, and she bought herself a realistic wig, painted on her brows, and walked into her old kyabakura.

It wasn't so surprising that she was able to get a job, especially with some older men preferring older women rather than teenage-looking girls; but her wage was considerably lower. After being valued and loved as a woman by her husband for thirteen years, it was in complete degradation that she returned to her old line of work. Her spirit broke everyday a little more than the last, but it was all worth it when she thought of her daughter's silly antics, her hard work and studying, and her loving smile every time she came through the door.

Perhaps it was perfect timing when Kayo collapsed on the club floor. She was tired. So unbelievably tired. People tried to get her to stand up, but she really couldn't be bothered. Ah, this bed felt nice. It wasn't her bed though. Oh yes, it was a hospital bed. That was why it seemed familiar. Why was Kaoru here? Didn't she have studying to do? Why did she keep saying 'don't give up'? She didn't have to give up anything. All the hospital debt was paid, the mortgage was paid, and there was even enough money saved up for her college. Why was Kaoru crying? Kayo was just going to go to sleep. Oh, that was sweet of Kaoru to say she was going to be a teacher in her stead. What a good daughter. Takeru would be proud. Kayo took one last breath and decided to go tell him herself.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

*Christmas in Japan is not considered a holiday, but more like how Westerner's view Valentine's Day. It is a special day to be spent with a partner or friends, and not so much with family. New Year's, however, is a holiday meant to be spent with family and is considered an important holiday.

_Kyabakura_ is a night entertainment club typically for salary men. _Kyabajo_ is a hostess assigned to one client and entertains him through conversation, singing, and drinking. A kyabajo can be seen as a modern-day geisha where they generally do not perform sexual services, but definitely has the choice to. Only until recently, the kyabajo occupation was considered to be shameful and somewhat taboo. Please Google either term to learn more about it.


	11. Chapter 11

Kaoru raced to her classroom, only to find everyone holding a similar flyer to the banner that had been tucked in their lockers. They stared at her in silence, not knowing what to say to her but having so much to say to each other. Kaoru grabbed the flyer out of one classmate's hands. Underneath her mother's stage name it read, "Mrs. Kamiya, mother of Kaoru."

Soujiro and Misao ran into the room and showed Kaoru his phone screen. "Look," he rasped, "A mass text was sent out to all the students in Azusa. It's a link of compiled pictures and anonymous client reviews about your mother."

Mortified, Kaoru scrolled through the site and briefly scanned the photos and comments. Most of the pictures were when her mother was young, but there were a few pictures of her when she was older. The comments were somewhat tame, but they proved who she was and what she did was real. Kaoru's vision blurred and she could taste bile in her mouth.

Misao worried for her friend. "Kaoru, are you okay? Where are you going?"

Kaoru did not mean to ignore Misao, nor did she mean to bump Kenshin's shoulder as he was trying to enter the classroom. Fear turned to fury as she lost control of her actions and took off to class 3-C. School had not yet started, so students were still huddled in groups gossiping voraciously. Megumi was standing with her friends facing the window, holding the flyer and laughing. Kaoru walked directly up to her, jerked her shoulder causing her to turn, and before Megumi even had the chance to protest, Kaoru balled her hand into a fist and swung as hard as she could.

But Kenshin stopped her.

Everyone stared. She was in such a rage she didn't even notice he followed her. Her fist was centimeters away from Megumi's terrified pale face. Kaoru tried to fight against his grasp but to no avail.

"Kaoru-san," he said quietly, "Not like this."

She couldn't hear him. Blood and adrenaline rushed through her body like a violent storm. Her only focus was on the girl who outed a secret her family tried so very carefully to conceal. Her hands shook involuntarily as a whisper escaped her lips. "How dare you?"

Megumi looked at her friends and almost smiled as though she had no idea why Kaoru was upset with her.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Kaoru screamed.

Blood drained from Megumi's face.

The most silent of seconds passed like hours. No one dared to move. No one spoke a word. The only thing that could be heard was Kaoru trying to calm her breathing. She was fed up of being victim to Megumi's devises. She was fed up that Megumi never received a consequence. She was fed up of sitting back and taking the hits. _Why? Why can't Megumi get what she deserves? Why do I always get what I don't deserve?_ _It's not fair._ A tear of frustration escaped and ran down her cheek. _It's not fair. _Her eyes locked with Megumi's, capturing them in a gaze raw and wounded. Her tone was low and gritty when she asked, "Why do you hate your life so much that you must bring others down with you?"

Megumi feigned innocence and seemed as though she were about to cry. "Kaoru, I don't know what you're talk-"

"You're a liar!" Hot tears spilled down her face. Her breathing was erratic from the suppressed frustration.

The school bell rang.

Kaoru didn't care. Her arm was still being restrained by her teacher. She didn't care. Everyone thought she was crazy. She didn't care. Megumi would probably attack her again after this. She didn't care. In fact, she wanted it. Maybe then she would be justified in killing her.

Her brain stopped to a halt.

_What are you thinking? _Her parents, the greatest advocates of living, would be so ashamed. She felt sorry to her parents, sorry for herself, then sorry for Megumi. When she was able to find her voice, it resounded with rebuke, sadness and pity. "You are a heartless being."

Kenshin relaxed his grip when he felt Kaoru no longer resisting. He gently tugged on her arm and ushered her out of the classroom. "I'm sorry," he said while passing a perplexed Takeda. They walked down the empty halls, but before reaching their classroom, Kenshin pulled her into a maintenance closet and closed the door. The single light bulb dangling from the ceiling cast a melancholy glow.

Kaoru said nothing, staring at her feet, hands still balled in fists. Silent tear streams flowed down her cheeks, connected at her chin, and dripped onto her shoes. Kenshin tried to put his arms around her but she stepped back. She didn't want to be held. She wanted to bury herself in the ground and disappear. The floor was the closest she could get to her wish, so she sat on the floor against the wall, drew up her knees to her chest, and cried into her arms. She was so ashamed. It wasn't because of her mother's job. No, that was like her body. She was comfortable with her body, proud of it even. But then someone suddenly ripped off all her clothes in front of hundreds of strangers who called her dirty, unacceptable, disgraceful, wrong, laughed and pointed. She felt violated to a degree she couldn't bear. But it wasn't her body, it was her mother. All her life she couldn't protect her. Kaoru couldn't protect her mother from the pain of her father's passing. She couldn't protect her from breast cancer. She couldn't protect her from the effects of the treatments or from financial burdens. Now that her mother was gone, she couldn't even protect her reputation. _I'm a failure._ She began to sob.

Kenshin felt terrible. He didn't know what to say to alleviate the situation. Her pain was almost tangible, and he realized he also felt hurt. He never wanted to see her like this. He would do whatever he could prevent it, stop it, get rid of it. For now, the only thing that could be done was to console her. Kenshin took a seat on the floor next to her in a similar position, close enough so that their sides were in full contact. He ignored the announcement for a locker check to be performed and continued to sit with her in silence.

After a while, Kenshin looked at his watch and said softly, "It's been ten minutes. That's the maximum amount of time you should allow yourself to feel bad. Now it's time to move forward."

Kaoru lifted her head. He was right. Victimizing herself got her nowhere, if not held her back. She took a deep breath and let out a mighty sigh. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

She wiped her face. "Thank you. For stopping me."

He did not say anything but instead helped her to stand back up.

She dusted off her skirt. "I think more than anything, I feel really hurt. That picture is not an accurate impression of my mom, and that's probably the last way she would want to be remembered."

"What do you remember most about you mother?"

"She was loving. And strong, and very determined. I'd consider myself perfect if I could be half the person she was."

"I'm sure your mother thinks you're already perfect without even trying to be like her. I know I do."

Kaoru gave him a small smile. "That's very kind of you to say. I just don't know what to do now."

Kenshin held her shoulders. "Forget what other people think or say or do. You just keep living like you're untouchable. Does that sound like a plan?"

Kaoru firmly nodded. "I'll do my best."

"That's my girl." He admired her tenacity. "Alright, let's go to the principal's office and see what's going to be done about all this." He held the closet door open for her.

"What about homeroom?" Kaoru asked as they stepped out. "Aren't you supposed to do a locker check?"

"I really don't think it's necessary. Let's take care of you first."

They walked to Principal Hiko's office, where Tomoe also happened to be. They were discussing the matter at hand. Tomoe looked up when Kenshin knocked on the door. "Were you able to find something?" she asked when they entered the office.

"No, I just wanted to check in on what's going on so far." He motioned Kaoru to take a seat.

Tomoe responded, "Nothing has come up yet. Hopefully we'll be able to hear something from teachers after the locker check. As to the banner, no one saw it being hung up. We didn't see it when we entered this morning, so it must have been rolled up and then released around seven-forty-five this morning. At this point we have no clue who could have done it." She then addressed Kaoru. "Is it safe to assume that it is your mother on the banner?"

"Yes," replied Kaoru.

"Can you think of anyone who has something against you?"

Kaoru hesitated to be honest, but she realized should be straight-forward. "Takani Megumi."

Hiko Seijuro was a little surprised. "But she seems like a good student. Her parents are alumni and they donate to the school. Is this the first time she's done something to you?"

Again Kaoru hesitated. "The first time was the sports festival. She framed me for the vandalism."

"But," the principal was even more perplexed, "You owned up to it. You apologized in front of all the parents and school."

Kaoru didn't reply.

He rubbed his chin. "Anything else?"

Kaoru really did not want to say anything in front of Kenshin. She knew he would be upset if he found out she didn't tell him. "Nothing really major. Just high school pranks."

"Like what?" Tomoe persisted.

A sigh was let out. "I was locked in the restroom with five rats, my uniform was stolen during gym, and the brakes on my bike were cut."

As predicted, Kenshin became angry, but only Kaoru could tell. "Thank you, Kaoru-san," he pursed his lips briefly, "Please return to class. I'll finish the discussion and return to class shortly."

Kaoru nodded and left the office.

The principal frowned. "Why wasn't any of this brought to my attention?"

"The students Megumi bullies deny it or hide it. I think they're afraid to stand up against her. Most importantly, we never have proof. No actions of consequence can be done without substantial evidence. Otherwise we could get into some serious law suits."

"What does that mean?" Kenshin questioned. "Is the school planning on doing something?"

"We can hold an anti-bullying assembly," Seijuro suggested.

The teacher agreed but wanted more. "That's important for preventative measures, but what about today? What about the banner of Kaoru-san's mother? We can't just let Megumi-san to get away with it."

"We can't say for sure that it was her," the dean argued. "We need evidence. For now, there isn't much we can do."

"That _shouganai_ attitude is bullshit. I can't just sit around and wait for the next attack on Kaoru-san." His temple began to throb.

Tomoe raised a brow. "Himura-sensei, why are you taking this so personally?"

There was no hesitation. "Because she is _my_ student, and as long as she is, I will fight for her, for however long it takes, no matter how hard it is; because her parents would do the same if not more, and since they cannot be here, I'm all she has." Violet eyes darkened, daring a challenge.

The principal coughed to clear some tension. "I suppose we could put up security cameras."

"That will be a very costly system and we just don't have the budget for it," Tomoe countered.

The red head grit his teeth. "So we do nothing?"

"We can bring Megumi in for questioning," the dean offered. "Maybe we can get some clues from her."

"You can certainly try, but I doubt she'll admit any information." Kenshin crossed his arms. "I think it would be better if we try to come up with the evidence ourselves."

"Who has time for that? Not me, and certainly not you. You have classes to teach and I have a school to run."

"The police."

"You think the police would actually come here for something so petty? It technically isn't a crime."

Kenshin ignored her last comment. "If the police are willing to get involved, and they are able to find evidence, will you take action against Takani Megumi?"

"Of course. I would uphold our school's policies and standards to the highest degree."

Kenshin pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. "I'm going to make a quick call." He stepped out into the hallway and pulled up a contact. He put his hand on his hip as the line rang. The other end picked up. "It's Himura Kenshin. I have a favor to ask."

* * *

Meanwhile, Kaoru returned to her homeroom. The class was relatively quiet. Some were working on assignments, some chatting quiet, others taking a nap. Kaoru did her best to act normal as she entered the room, pretending all eyes were not on her. She sat in the vacant desk behind Soujiro next to Misao.

"Are you okay?" Soujiro asked in concern.

Kaoru went to her locker and brought her gym shoes and shoebox back to her desk. She cut off the sides of the cardboard lid and punctured two holes at the top corners. Unlacing her shoe laces from one sneaker, she knotted the string through the holes in the cardboard. Then she reached for her thick permanent marker and began to write. When finished, she hung the newly created sign around her neck. It read:

KYABAJO. What did your mother do for you?

Kaoru looked very satisfied at her peers' shock. Everyone found out about her family's secret. Fine. But what they didn't know was that she was actually proud of what her mother did. How could she not be? What other mother would go to such lengths just for her child? "My mother did it so that I could have a future and not be burdened with her financial debts after she passed from breast cancer. I'm very thankful of what she did for me, and I will never forget it."

Soujiro and Misao felt convicted to do the same to support their friend, but they also felt shame to let others know what they wanted to hide. Kaoru smiled at them, letting them know she did not expect them to follow suit. Misao felt guilty. Soujiro smiled back and went to his locker. On his sign he wrote: "ADOPTION. What did your mother do for you?" This was a huge surprise for their class, knowing that their class president was adopted. Soujiro didn't mind the gasps of shock. He just smiled and explained, "She wasn't ready to be a teenage mom, so she gave me up to a couple who wanted children but couldn't do it on their own. My adoptive parents are amazing, and I thank my birth mother for thinking of my best interest and not her own."

Misao realized she only felt more respect for Kaoru and Soujiro and their parents, so she made her own sign that said, "LEFT MY FATHER. What did your mother do for you?" She hung it around her neck with the comment, "My father was abusive to my mother throughout their ten-year relationship. It was very hard for her to leave even though her situation was terrible. When she had me, he threatened to hit me too, even though I was just a baby. Something in her switched, and she packed her bags and went to a halfway house that very night." She began to tear. "She said she didn't want me to have the same life she did. I don't fully understand, but I know that it was a scary thing for my mom to do. But I'm glad she did it."

This was when Kenshin returned to the class. He was slightly confused as to why three of his students wore signs around their necks. "Um, what's happening?"

"We're showing that we're proud of what our mothers did for us," Misao volunteered.

"I want to make one too," said another student.

"Are we allowed to we allowed to be wearing them during school hours?" asked a girl at the front.

Kenshin looked at Kaoru and smiled. "They look like necklaces to me. I think the school allows a little jewelry." He continued as though everything was normal. "Hey guys, thanks for being patient. We had a busy start this morning to say the least, but everything is being sorted out and we can get back on track."

A boy raised his hand. "Hiumra-sensei, are you going to sing a Britney Spears song? You know, 'cause you're late and all."

Kenshin shook his head. "That's not going to happen."

"Why does your voice sound like that?"

"I'm not sick."

* * *

"I swear I'm going to punch her in the vagina!" Sanosuke roared.

Misao put her hand on his arm. "Please don't. You might contract herpes."

Kaoru had just finished telling her mother's story to the gang. It was lunch and they were sitting at their usual spot in the stairwell, all still wearing signs around their neck. Many students, not just from Kaoru's class, joined to support Kaoru, their mother, and anti-bullying. They were infuriated at Megumi and were trying to come up with plans of revenge.

"How did she even find out?"

"Does it even matter? She found out and the whole school knows."

"Maybe we should dig up some of her family's secrets."

"We should cut off all her hair as she passes by."

"Maybe we should kill her with kindness and invite her to have lunch with us," Soujiro suggested.

Sanosuke did not like this idea. "Sou, if you do, I swear to god, I will kill her using your dead body."

Kaoru sighed. "I don't want to stoop to her level. I almost hit her today and I'm glad I didn't. I just want to show everyone that I can be knocked down over and over, but I'll only get right back up."

"I'm surprised the school doesn't get more involved. You would think Principal Hiko would do something."

"He only apologized."

"Well, it's not like Kaoru has parents to complain on her behalf. Hey, didn't you say you have a lawyer or a social worker?"

"I have a Family Court representative, and it's a little different. We're not often in touch, and if we are, it's just for legal things, like hospital documents and such. He's not actually meant to be a guardian."

Just then, a door opened and Makoto came into the stairwell. The gang ceased their chatter. "Sup," he greeted with a nod.

"What do you want?" Sanosuke all but spat.

Makoto ignored him. "Kaoru, can we talk? In private?"

Hands in her lap, she replied calmly, "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of my friends."

He raked his hand through his dark hair. "I prefer to speak in private."

"I prefer to speak in front of my friends."

"Forget it."

She shrugged. "Okay."

"Fine!" Makoto turned back to the group. "I just wanted to say that it's my fault Megumi did all this to you."

Kaoru did everything she could to not get up and look out the window to see if pigs were flying. "What do you mean?"

"Remember when I asked you out on a date?"

"You didn't ask," she muttered.

"Well, I let Megumi think you said yes."

"That is so sad," Misao interjected, shaking her head.

Kaoru looked very, very unimpressed. Makoto threw up his hands. "What was I to do? She asked me in front of all my friends."

Kaoru sighed. "You know what? It doesn't matter. Her believing your lie doesn't excuse her cruelty. She is responsible for her own actions. But I still appreciate that you came to tell me. You did tell her we're not dating, right?"

Makoto scratched his chin.

She jumped up. "You didn't tell her?" Sapphire eyes widened with rage. "So she thinks we're still dating?"

"Well . . ."

Kaoru hit his arm. "Go tell her!" She then hit his shoulder.

"Hey! Ouch! C'mon, you gotta understand me. I'm actually seeing another girl, Yumi, so everyone think I'm dating _two_ girls at once, and I want to keep up this image."

"If you don't fix this now, I swear I will yell off the rooftop of this school that you're a virgin."

Makoto laughed. "Ha! No one will believe you."

Misao pretended to choke on something. "Cough-manwhore-cough."

"I'll tell everyone about your thumbtack dick." Sanosuke crossed his arms.

"Hey man, fuck you, there was only cold water running in the shower that day," Makoto defended but was still paranoid. "Alright, fine. I'll tell Megumi by the end of the year."

Sanosuke frowned. "Now."

"End of the day."

"Now."

"End of lunch."

Sanosuke stood from his seat.

Makoto jumped back. "Hey, hey, no need to get physical. I'll just go tell her now. See ya, freaks." He finally left.

"So," Misao leaned over to Sanosuke, "exactly how literal of a thumbtack are we talking about?"

* * *

It was the end of the day and all the students finished their cleaning duties and headed to their clubs. Kaoru packed her gym clothes in her bag, replaced her shoes, and closed her locker. When she turned around, Kenshin was leaning his head against the white board with his coat in an arm and his bag on his shoulder. It looked like he was on his way out but didn't quite make it. He rolled his forehead along the cool, smooth surface when turning to look at her. "Kaoru," he lagged out, "I'm sick."

Kenshin considered himself to be strong. He exercised rigorously and regularly, ate a lot of vegetables and protein, drank a lot of water, was still young and felt he hadn't even reached his prime. His immune system was better than Norton Antivirus. It was very rare that he would catch something; but when he did, it hit him hard.

Kaoru relieved him of his bag and helped him into his coat. "Can you walk?" she asked.

Kenshin nodded. He tried to maintain some dignity by sticking out his chest and straightening his spine. In reality, his shoulders slumped over while his head hung low. Kaoru carried his bag for him, and he followed her to his car. He slipped into the passenger seat and was about to fall asleep . . . when he realized he was in the passenger seat. "Wait."

Kaoru closed the driver's door. She fumbled with the built in GPS. "I need to know where you live."

"You can drive?"

"Yes."

"Manual?"

"Yes, Chou taught me over the summer for my eighteenth birthday. He said every girl should learn to drive so their boyfriends don't have to turn into taxi drivers. And he only had a manual car, so I really had no choice."

He began to fall asleep. "I like Chou . . ."

"I assume this," she selects an icon shaped as a house, "is the direction to your home."

The GPS voice speaker initiated. "Finding directions to The Augustine."

The Augustine was a five-star serviced apartment designed for foreigners who planned on staying in Tokyo for months at a time. It was basically a luxury condominium with hotel services. It also leased office space to foreign companies comprised of the first few stories. There was no way Kenshin could afford to stay there. Even a studio room cost around $3000 per month. Kaoru only knew this because the building was less than two blocks away from Café Tae, and a lot of residents of The Augustine were often patrons. Kaoru's head tilted to the side. "Hm . . . that's not right." She pressed the house icon again.

"Finding directions to The Augustine," the system repeated.

She patted Kenshin's leg. "What is your address?"

"The Augustine," he responded with his eyes closed.

She thought he was imitating the GPS. "Okay. Where do you live?"

"The Augustine. Twenty-ninth floor."

Kaoru was getting frustrated. "Kenshin, we don't have time to make any visits. I have to take you home directly. Please, help me help you. Where do you live?"

Kenshin sighed. "I live at The Augustine. Twenty-ninth floor. Number two-nine-o-nine."

_Oh, I see. He must be staying with someone. Maybe a friend. Maybe a lady friend. Maybe _two_ lady friends._ "Okay, Kenshin, I'll get you home soon." Slightly dejected, she drove off.

As they neared the building, Kenshin weakly pointed towards the underground parking lot. She reached a gate, which opened when Kenshin pressed a button on a remote. He directed her to find his parking spot. "You're a good driver," he mumbled as she placed the car into gear. Kaoru gathered their belongings and opened the car door for him. "Such a gentleman." He stumbled towards the nearby elevator.

Once in the elevator, Kenshin immediately sought a corner to lean on. Kaoru pressed the button for the twenty-sixth floor. The elevator doors closed, but nothing else happened. "Hm?" She pressed the button again.

"One-three-six-nine-five." Kenshin's voice was muffled by the elevator wall.

"Is that your suite number?"

He shook his head. "Code. To go up."

Kaoru then realized there was a dial-pad. She entered the said digits and pressed the button again. Now the elevator moved. The doors opened to a lit corridor with light golden wallpaper with subtle velvet accents. She found her way to suite 2909, Kenshin trailing slowly behind. Upon reaching the door, Kenshin patted his sides in search of his keys, not realizing Kaoru was holding his bag. She unlocked the noticeably solid door and ushered him in. "Wow," she cooed.

The apartment had a western style while being luxurious without the pretention. The couch seat was deep, the kitchen counters marble, the wooden floor dark and shiny . . . yet there lacked a personality behind the design, as though it were very cookie cutter, a hotel. Apartment rooms in Tokyo were usually quite small, even if they were on the more expensive end; but his suite had to be at least double the size of the average apartment room. The ceiling was also noticeably higher.

Kaoru sighed. It would take her a long time to be able to afford a place like this. One day, someday. "Come on, Kenshin, let's get you –" She realized he was out of sight. Then she found him by the sofa on his knees, his upper body slung over the arm. Bending low, she secured him by the waist while pulling on his arm off the couch, over her head, and onto her shoulder. "Alright," she panted, trying not to buckle under his weight, "Here we go." Kenshin's body was half-dragged to his bedroom. Helping him into his low king-size bed, she asked, "Where are your roommates?"

"No roommates since o-two." He meant 2002.

A small part of her felt relieved. "I'm going to help take care of you, okay?"

"S'okay. Too troublesome."

"Nonsense. I know you would do the same for me." She smiled at his weak gaze. "Now, let's get you changed." Her long fingers undid his silk tie, then his shirt buttons. Like she would for a baby, she cupped the back of his head and helped him to sit up. His coat, shirt, and undershirt were all removed. She lay him back down. "Your skin is burning." It didn't occur to her to feel shy or embarrassed as she unbuckled his pants. He needed her help, and she would do whatever necessary. After a moment, Kenshin only had his grey boxer briefs on.

His breathing was labored.

Kaoru managed to find a bowl and some small towels. She brought tepid water to his side and soaked a towel. After wringing it out, she patted his face to cool him down. She left that one on his forehead and used another towel to wipe down his arms and legs. _That should bring down his temperature just a little bit._

"Kaoru?" His voice was terribly weak.

"Yes, Kenshin?"

"I'm . . . sorry. . . I can't go . . . ice skating."

Kaoru laughed. She drew up the blankets to his chin and flipped the towel on his forehead. Her hand pressed the side of his neck to feel his temperature. As she did so, she said, "Go to sleep."

"Kaoru?"

"Yes, Kenshin?"

"Merry Christmas."

She smiled. "Merry Christmas." When his breathing finally became more shallow, she rose from his bedside to prepare some dinner. Then, "Kaoru?"

"Yes, Kenshin?"

"I'm . . . I'm sorry . . . about your day . . . your mother . . ."

"That's okay. Ssh. Try not to talk."

"I'm . . . so . . . proud . . . of you."

Her heart filled with warmth. "Thank you."

"Your mother . . . is proud too . . . that you are . . . proud of her."

Her throat constricted.

"Today . . . never . . . forget."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "I won't. I'll always remember what my mother did for me. Always." She turned off the light and closed the door.

Somewhere, Kayo and Takeru smiled down at their daughter. _She only wanted one thing in life: to be remembered._ And as he had promised, she was very happy.


	12. Chapter 12

**December 28**

"I think the school would understand if you missed one more day of work. You did have the flu, after all."

Kenshin smiled at Kaoru's effort to not sound naggy. She was only concerned for his welfare, and that wasn't a bad feeling at all. "I have to go. It's the last day of school before winter break. I don't really have a choice. There are a lot of things I have to get done before the new semester."

They were currently in his room, him sitting on the edge of the bed, her on the bed kneeling behind him helping to get his dress shirt on. His movements were slow as he was still weak with fatigue, but he felt fresh after just having taken his first shower since the day he came down with a fever. Kaoru moved off of the bed to stand in front of him. Gently but firmly, she squeezed the excess water out of his wet hair using the light blue towel draped over his head. Starting from the crown, she moved her way down until she reached the ends, just past the nape of his neck. Kenshin loved the feeling of his hair being touched. The endorphins released put him in a semi-drunken state. Her soft floral scent reached him with her closeness. He gave her a lazy grin as she tilted his head upwards and used her towel-covered thumbs to dry the inside of his ears. Ah, what a luxury to be taken care of by someone who genuinely cares.

Kaoru's expression looked worried. He was no longer pale, but his eyes had not yet recovered their luster. She began to button up his shirt. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," he slurred, still recovering from his mild euphoria.

After reaching the last button, she helped him to stand. He teetered slightly. Kaoru frowned. She wished he would stay home and rest; but she knew Kenshin's mind was made up, so she resorted to serving breakfast.

For the past three days and nights, Kaoru had been dedicated to nursing Kenshin back to health. She knew what it felt like to take care of one's self while being sick. It was exhausting, depressing, and very lonely. The first night she cooked a big pot of congee. She thought she did a pretty decent job, but how on earth did people not get the bottom to burn? Kenshin did not complain while she slowly spoon fed him in bed (he was half-dead anyway), then packed the rest in containers for him to heat up for the next day.

Finding things in Kenshin's kitchen was somewhat challenging. He was a tidy person, keeping only the essentials, but he was not very organized. Cups were in multiple cupboards; one pot was underneath the sink, one on highest shelf; spoons were inside a cup while chopsticks were in a drawer. Perhaps there was a method to his madness, but it was beyond Kaoru to understand it. Not being obsessive compulsive, Kaoru shrugged her shoulders and returned to Kenshin's room.

His fever came in waves, and she would change the water bowl every so often to keep him cool. She maintained his hydration by holding his cup as he drank through a straw. She helped him to the bathroom every now and then, acting as his crutch to and from his bedroom. Kaoru originally planned on going home for the night, but her heart ached when Kenshin made dull noises of pain in his sleep; or when his thermometer read 103 degrees; or when he coughed so hard she was sure a lung would come out of his mouth. So she found an extra pillow and blanket and slept on the floor by his side, ready to be at his aid.

Kaoru repeated this for the next two days, setting up containers of congee and a pitcher of water by his bedside so he could fend for himself while she was away at school and work. It was very convenient that Café Tae was only a ten minute walk from his apartment. Right after work, she would come back to his place, check his temperature, replenish the tissue box, then work on assignments by his bedside. By the third day, Kenshin finally broke his fever. He slept a solid fourteen hours before waking up at six in the morning to get ready to go back to work.

Kaoru placed a bowl of miso soup in front of him. She took a sip. Her eyes widened, and before Kenshin could bring the bowl to his lips, she immediately took it away and returned to the kitchen. The redhead looked confused. On the outside she was giving him a don't-worry-about-it kind of smile. On the inside, she was cursing herself for her lack of cooking skills. _Really, Kaoru? Did you actually mess up _instant _miso soup? Really?_ After adding more hot water to the bowls, she tasted it, was satisfied, and returned their breakfast to the table.

"Thank you," Kenshin said as she placed the bowl before him. Being cooked for was something very rare for him. When the hands of someone caring prepared the meal, it tasted good to him no matter what. He took a hearty sip. "Ah. It's delicious."

She waved off the compliment. "It's just from the packets I found in your cupboard."

"I really am grateful though. You took care of me this whole time I was sick. No one has ever done that for me."

"Surely not. What about your parents?"

"They weren't with me growing up," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh. What about any girlfriends?"

"Not really. I didn't let them get too close to know if I got sick or anything. I'm kind of used to taking care of myself."

There was something delicious about being an exclusive member. "Then I guess I must be pretty lucky since you told me."

"Or pretty unlucky. I get demanding when I'm not feeling well."

"Nonsense. You were the perfect patient."

"And you the perfect nurse." They smiled at each other and they both gained a secret.

Kaoru finished off her bowl. "I should get going."

Kenshin looked as though he were a puppy being abandoned. "Where?"

"To school, of course."

"Why can't you come with me? I can drive there. It's much faster than the train."

"I know, but I think it'll look suspicious if we arrive at school together. I know we're not doing anything wrong, but we don't want to give anyone the wrong idea either."

He sighed. Why did she always have to be more sensible than he was? "But it's cold outside."

"Kenshin, I do this every day from my house. It's really not a big deal." Kaoru wrapped her scarf around her neck and zipped up her jacket. "Speaking of house, we're going to have a conversation of how you can afford this place over a belated Christmas dinner that you owe me."

"I think at this point I owe you a kidney."

Kaoru grinned as she headed out the door. "Bye." And she was gone.

The apartment felt very empty and he felt quite alone. Her presence was addicting, so very different from when they were with others versus when they were alone, and he wished he could have her over again but under different circumstances. Perhaps they were just friends, but he felt there was nothing wrong with nurturing that friendship into something greater in the future. Kenshin quickly prepared his lunch box as he mentally prepared himself for the day. There was indeed a lot to get done.

* * *

"TGIV! Thank god it's vacation!" exclaimed a giddy Misao. The end of the day could not have come any sooner, and students were packing their things to leave. "I'm so excited for the vacation, you don't even know. I mailed all my postcards yesterday, so that's done. What about you?"

Kaoru smiled. "Not yet."

"Not yet? You better do it today or they might not get there by New Year's." Misao then lowered her voice. "Do you work tonight?" It was forbidden for Azusa students to have a job.

"Not tonight, thank the lord. I am aching for some sleep."

Misao sobered. "Oh, right. I forgot that it must be really hard on you to get some sleep after what Megumi did. This vacation is exactly what you need to be away from her."

That wasn't why Kaoru was so tired, but she couldn't tell her friend (not to mention fellow classmate) that she barely got any rest while nursing their homeroom teacher's flu for the past three days. "Uh, yeah, it's been rough, but I'm really not going to let it get to me. She really isn't worth losing sleep over."

"Atta girl!" beamed Misao. "Let's not talk about that crazy bitch anymore. So my family decided to go skiing near Mount Fuji for New Year's. I know it's short notice, but you wanna come?"

"Thanks, Misao, but I'm going to stay home. Since we just paid for next semester's tuition, I need to be careful on how I spend next month."

"You don't have to worry about costs! My step-dad will take care of everything. He's really cool. I don't want you to be alone for New Year's."

"You're so sweet! But I actually have a list of things I want to get done for the New Year, so I'll be quite busy. I'm actually pretty excited about it."

"Okay, cool! What's first on the list?"

"Sleeeep." Kaoru planned on sleeping ninety-six hours straight, and God help the one who would dare to disturb her slumber.

"Kaoru-san?"

Misao and Kaoru turned to see the school secretary at the door.

"May I borrow you for a moment?"

Kaoru got out of her seat and into the hallway. "Yes, Sasaki-san?"

"You are needed in the principal's office. Please make your way there."

Kaoru nodded and watched the secretary walk away. "Bye, Misao. I'll talk to you later." _The principal's office? What did I do now?_ As she neared the office, she could feel her stomach tying itself in knots. _What happened this time?_ In the office waiting Principal Hiko, Dean Yukishiro, Takeda-sensei, Kenshin, and a police officer. She glanced at the unfamiliar person whose expression seemed to be permanently etched into a scowl. Deciding not to make eye contact with him, she instead addressed her homeroom teacher. "What's going on?"

"Have a seat, Kaoru-san," the redhead replied gently, "we're expecting a few others."

Kaoru noticed four vacant chairs in front of the principal's desk. She sat in the one on the end. Then Megumi arrived. She looked equally confused as Kaoru. They made brief eye contact but both looked away.

"Please take a seat," Takeda-sensei said to his student.

There were still two vacant chairs. The silence was awkward as they waited for something they were unsure of.

Megumi grew impatient. "Sorry," she said in a polite voice, "but who or what are we waiting for?"

Tomoe decided to answer. "Your parents."

Megumi was rightly surprised. "Why?"

"Let's just wait until your parents get here," Seijuro this time responded.

Shortly after, Mrs. and Dr. Takani arrived at the office. Their attire and carriage boasted their elite status. They were also unsure as to why they were here.

"Thank you for coming," the principal greeted the parents soberly. "This is Officer Fujita with the Police Bureau, our school dean, Yukishiro Tomoe, Megumi's homeroom teacher, Takeda Kanryu, class 3-A homeroom teacher, Himura Kenshin, and student of Himura-sensei, Kamiya Kaoru. I, of course, am Hiko Seijuro, principal of Azusa. Earlier this week we had a sort of prank exposing Kaoru-san's mother as a kyabajo."

The parents looked mildly shocked.

"A large banner was posted outside the main entrance, as well as printed fliers slipped in everyone's lockers, and a mass text message sent to all students' cellphones. I'm sure you can imagine how painful this was for Kaoru-san."

"Yes," Mrs. Takani agreed.

"We have reason to believe that your daughter, Megumi-san, is responsible for this scheme."

Mrs. Takani blanched. Dr. Takani clenched his jaw. Megumi lifted her nose in the air.

"Not only that, but she is known to be the school bully."

"I can't believe it. I absolutely do not believe it." Mrs. Takani became quite upset. "Megumi is a very quiet girl at home. She would never cause such trouble."

"I will let Officer Fujita explain the rest."

The policeman stepped forward. "I took possession of the banner and noticed the quality and material. There are about thirty locations in Tokyo who are able to print a banner this size. The quality of the banner itself is actually quite high. It's made of scrim vinyl, which is not easy to find, and is also a weight of fifteen ounce. The print is also superb quality, three hundred dpi. This narrowed the locations down to two. I called both locations and discovered that this banner was indeed ordered from a print shop called, 'Printing Shark' on December twelfth. The alias the order was left under was 'Kitsune'. The banner was picked up on December twentieth by a young female who paid with cash."

Megumi swallowed.

"The mass text sent out was of a link to a site of compiled pictures and reviews of Mrs. Kamiya. This is not an official site, and I discovered the registered user of the account also uses the name Kitsune."

"How does that prove my daughter is related to any of this?" Dr. Takani asked angrily.

"Please don't interrupt me," the officer glowered. "The exposing of Kaoru's mother is technically not a crime. Celebrities' lives are exposed all the time. However, how all the contacts were obtained to send the mass texts is illegal. Not only is it a breach of personal privacy, but it is a breach of school property."

He opened a laptop on the table and proceeded to show his evidence. "The secretary's computer contains all student contact information. Access is required by password. It's not a complicated system, and any amateur could hack into the file, which apparently had been done. I used government software to trace digital steps of any type of hacking. The computer had been hacked quite a while ago, actually, and multiple times, most recently on December twenty-four. Except for the initial hack, the hacks all have the same IP address, which means only one source was being used."

He pulled up the website of compilations. "This is the same IP address used to create this site. Now, interestingly, this is not a regular desktop or laptop IP address. The device this IP address belongs to is a cell phone. This is the number to the cellphone, and that cellphone," he then pulled out his cell and dialed the number. The vibration of Megumi's phone went off. "Is here," he finished.

Megumi's face was ghostly white. "I . . . I'm being framed."

The policeman was not prey to theatrics. "Hand me the phone."

Megumi clutched it and turned away. "No! You might change something to make me look like a criminal! Someone is trying to set me up!"

"Actually," Kenshin countered, "no one is. I did some research of my own and found that you personally went to the hospital Kamiya-san was born in to confirm that Okaguchi Kayo was in fact her mother. There is video and eyewitness evidence." He handed a flash drive to the officer who then displayed the video footage on-screen. "You used your family name to gain access to confidential information, which is a form of fraud."

The Takanis were all speechless. The officer continued to wait with his hand out. Megumi looked to her parents for help, then her homeroom teacher. After realizing that she wasn't going to get any support, she finally gave it to him in defeat. He looked through it briefly, then put it in his bag. "This will be used for evidence. The state will be pressing charges for breach of privacy, but because Takani Megumi is a minor, I will have to pass the charge to the parents. I suggest you contact your lawyer within the next twenty-four hours."

Kenshin probed more. "What I'm curious to know is how you even found out Okaguchi Kayo was ever a kyabajo to use against Kamiya-san. Any other privacy breaching?"

She remained silent.

"It would be better to admit now than in court."

Megumi pinched her lips. "No," she said truthfully, "I found a flier with her picture in my father's closet. Kaoru and her mother look almost identical that I thought it was Kaoru herself."

"Wait a minute." This was said by Mrs. Takani. She turned to her husband. "Why did you have that flier? You told me you never went to see her, and that you were over her."

"We will talk about it at home," Dr. Takani responded in an attempt to maintain calm.

"You kept her memento for four years?"

"This is absolutely ridiculous. I will not waste another word on this pointless subject."

Mrs. Takani's brows furrowed in pensive thought. Then she calmly said, "I want a divorce."

"What?" This was exclaimed by Megumi.

"Excuse me," Tomoe interrupted, "We still have to discuss Takani-san's standing with the school. May I ask for a private audience with the Takani family and her homeroom teacher?"

On cue, Kaoru, Kenshin, and the police officer exited the office. Kenshin looked at Kaoru, wanting to know her reaction to all this. "Hey, are you alright?"

Kaoru let out a big sigh of relief. "Yes, I suppose." She rubbed her forehead. "It's all just surreal right now. I need to let it sink in."

"Yeah. It's a lot of information to absorb. Go on home. You've had a long week."

"Okay. Thank you so much. For everything." She turned to the man in uniform and bowed deeply. "Thank you very much. I am very grateful to you. Thank you." After receiving a curt nod, she smiled at Kenshin and left.

Before Kenshin could mirror the gratitude, Officer Fujita Goro remarked, "You look sick."

Kenshin smirked. "It's good to see you too, Saitou."

"So," Saitou Hajime crossed his arms very much unimpressed, "you only call me for a favor yet you didn't even come to my wedding."

Kenshin blinked. "I wasn't invited."

He paused. "So it seems."

"Anyway, I'm really grateful that you took some time out to help me. Sorry for the delay, but as you know, I was sick for the past couple of days."

Normally Saitou would not have come for such a petty job, but he owed Kenshin a favor, so what the hell. He wanted this to be over and done with so he could free himself from this teenage infested barnyard of a school. "You have become weak, Kenshin. Such an excuse in the past would have been laughable at best."

Kenshin willed himself to not roll his eyes. "I'm learning to treat myself better."

Golden eyes looked down at Kenshin's empty ring finger. "Treating yourself better yet remaining single. Perhaps you are not yet expertised at selecting a proper mate."

"I'm working on it. You can expect an invite should I be successful."

Saitou began to walk away. "Save yourself the paper. I'm pretty sure I'll be occupied that day."

Kenshin shook his head. _What an asshole._ His mouth involuntarily tipped upwards.

* * *

Kaoru was exhausted, physically and emotionally. The whole banner incident could have been seen as a living nightmare, but Kaoru decided to see it as a blessing in disguise. How insecure she felt about what people thought of her, of her mother; whether or not her friends would accept her; if Kenshin still saw her in the same way. Yet Kenshin was even more proud of her, and her friends not only accepted her but supported her, and then it didn't really matter what people thought of her or her family. How would she have known if this had never happened?

Kaoru threw her backpack over her shoulder and stepped out into the empty hall. Then she saw Megumi also coming around the corner. Kaoru contemplated on pretending she forgot something in her homeroom, or just jumping out of the hall window. _Kaoru! Stand your ground!_ She straightened her spine while lifting her chin. She began to walk down the hallway as if it were her kingdom.

"Kaoru."

Kaoru continued walking. _Ignore her. Ignore her. Ignore her._

"Kaoru, wait."

Kaoru marched on.

Megumi ran in front of her and stood in her way. She then looked down at her feet. "I just wanted to say . . . I'm sorry."

Kaoru said nothing.

"I'm being expelled."

"Good." Her arms crossed.

Megumi didn't expect Kaoru's frigid attitude. "I guess I didn't realize how much I hurt you. I didn't think from your perspective."

"Megumi, I'm over it."

"Please, hear me out." Even in her shame she was still pretty. "I was wrong to bully you. I don't get any attention from my parents. They're both doctors and they don't care about me. They just care if I behave well and get good grades. I just wanted to get their attention, I guess."

"That's no excuse for your malicious behavior. You don't need to like me, you can hate me even, but that gives you no right to treat me how you did."

"I know. I realize that now." Her bottom lip quivered. "My family is broken, I have to leave all my friends, and I'm going to have to go to court and I might face criminal charges, and I'll probably never get accepted to a good university. You must be happy that my life is ruined." It was not said to be mocking, but to show humble defeat.

"Actually, I'm not." Kaoru uncrossed her arms. "Why would your unhappiness contribute to my happiness? I'm sad that all of this happened, and I am angry at you for what you did, but believe it or not, I really do hope that you'll be genuinely happy one day."

There was evident relief and joy on Megumi's face. Tears welled in her brown eyes.

Kaoru continued. "And I hope that you'll meet someone who will show you true kindness."

Megumi showed Kaoru a tender and warm smile reserved for the very few. "I think I just met her." It was a promise that the diabolical days were now behind them. "Bye, Kaoru. Take care."

"You too, Megumi."

Megumi walked somberly to the dean and principal's and took out an envelope for each of them. "I wanted to give this to you for New Years. It's not much. Just a gift card. But it was a thank you for always looking out for us students."

Tomoe hesitatingly accepted it. She felt guilty. "Thank you, Megumi-san. I wish you the best for your future."

With one last sad look, Megumi walked out of Azusa High.

* * *

**December 30**

Kaoru was grateful to have the morning shift today. She still had a lot to get done in preparation for the new year, and she could use this afternoon to do it. She handed Chou another drink order. "Pumpkin latte, please!"

"You got it, sweet cheeks," he bellowed.

Kaoru deadpanned him. "Please don't call me that."

"What should I call you instead? Bitter boobies? Ow!"

"Kaoru?" the new seasonal worker interrupted. "Can you help me ring in this customer? I don't know what to do if someone if paying with a gift card."

Kaoru perked up immediately. "Sure!" She walked up to the cash register. "All you have to do is-" She froze. Then, "Yukishiro-sensei . . ."

Tomoe was also surprised. "Kaoru-san . . ."


	13. Chapter 13

TWEET!

A referee blew the whistle to end the final half of the basketball game. Kenshin and Aoshi had been playing full-court for almost two hours with some other members of the gym.

"Good game," Kenshin panted to the other players. He sat down on a bench and drained his water bottle. His navy t-shirt was drenched with sweat. He was pretty sure if he wrung it out he could fill a one-liter bottle. Exercising this hard probably wasn't the best idea while on the cusp of recovering from the flu, but he needed to exert his pent-up energy. Reaching into his gym bag, he pulled out his cellphone, checked the main screen, then put it back.

Aoshi stood in front of him, also drinking from his bottle. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You're acting strange."

"Hm? Am I? I feel fine."

"You checked your phone a few times today," Aoshi observed. See, Kenshin was not one to constantly be on his phone. In fact, he always kept it on silent so he wouldn't be bothered. If he felt like looking at his phone, only then would he acknowledge messages or calls.

The redhead grabbed his worn leather gym bag and headed for the men's locker room. "I'm going to take a shower."

Aoshi followed in silent amusement.

The hot streaming water felt good on Kenshin's taut muscles. It was a slight distraction from his current train of thought. New Year's Eve was tomorrow and he still didn't have any plans. The holidays always carried a special meaning to him, but in the past he often had to spend them at work. Some years he was lucky to celebrate with his friends (who were also from work). This mainly consisted of competitive drinking, which wasn't really different from any other day off spent together. Digressing briefly, he wondered if he could still drink as much as he did in his younger years. Probably not. He had no plans on finding out either. Kenshin had his fair share of spending the holidays alone. Not that he minded. It was not often that he was able to have time to himself. However, this year he craved to spend his time with a very particular person. And that person was not replying to his text.

Kenshin towel-dried his hair, very much enjoying the shorter length. What a pain it used to be walking out in the dead of winter with long wet hair. Maybe he should start caring more about his looks and maintain this hair length. Maybe then he could capture _someone's_ attention. He checked his phone again and switched it off of silent mode.

"It's a girl." Aoshi guessed as pulled a grey shirt over his head.

"Hm? No."

His denial was too telling to his friend of twenty years. "It's the girl from the summer."

The shorter friend feigned ignorance. "What girl?"

"The one you met at a coffee shop."

"I can't recall."

"Stop your bullshit. What is it? Did you finally ask her out?"

Kenshin sighed. "Not really. We're more like friends now."

"A dangerous place to be."

"I'm thinking about asking her to hang out for New Year's," Kenshin shrugged like it was no big deal.

"That's a bit of a jump."

"I know," he replied with slight frustration. He pulled on his pants and fastened his belt buckle. "I don't want to scare her by rushing things or coming on too strong."

Aoshi buttoned up his blue-checked shirt. "Do you like her?"

"A lot."

"Then just ask. Don't be a pussy."

He did not feel it was necessary to share that she was his student and this entire situation was highly inappropriate. "Right."

"If she says no, at least you'll still be friends. Then you can ask her out another time."

Kenshin yanked a grey cardigan over his black shirt. "True."

"If she says yes, then you might finally get laid."

Kenshin became serious. "I told you I'm not rushing things."

The concept of falling in love still seemed a myth to the taller friend. "Are you seriously not going to try? Come on, when was the last time?"

Kenshin didn't want to think that far back. "You're a prick, you know that?"

Aoshi smirked. "Prick who gets laid."

"Fucking douche." He was originally going to say asshole, but he knew that would only give his friend more ammunition. Dressed and ready to go, Kenshin zipped up his bag. "What are your plans?"

"For New Year's?" They began to leave the locker room. "Work. My firm is sending me to a spa resort to meet with my clients. It's a time-sensitive case."

"Ah, the rough life of a lawyer."

"Do you want to get a drink?"

Just then, Kenshin's phone rang. Again, Kenshin would have normally missed the call, or ignored it since he was with a friend, but this time he answered it with over-excitement. "Hello?"

Aoshi shook his head and began to check his emails.

"Hello, Kenshin?"

_Ah, for fuck's sake._ "Oh, hey Tomoe."

Aoshi smiled. Wide.

"I just thought you should know that I found out your homeroom student has a part-time job."

"What?"

"Kamiya Kaoru. I got a gift card for this place called Café Tae so I decided to use it. That's when I saw her working behind the counter."

"When?"

"Today. Just now."

_Motherfucker._ "Okay. Then what?"

"Then I asked to speak with the owner and notified her that our school does not allow our students to work for pay. I told her that this would be Kaoru-san's last day."

Kenshin said nothing.

"Hello?"

"Yeah."

"Did you know about this?"

Again, he said nothing.

"She cannot attend Azusa and work at the same time. It violates our school's policies."

"You know she is supporting herself, right?"

"Look, I know she is your student and you care about her welfare. I do too. But we have to remain consistent with our standards. I'm sure she has government support. Besides, if I didn't find out, it would have been Hiko. That would have been much worse. He also received a gift card."

"From who?"

"Megumi."

_The bitch._ "Well maybe I can get the card back from him. He doesn't have to find out."

"Kenshin, I didn't call you to have a discussion. I'm just informing you of what will be happening to one of your students."

He was silent.

"I told the owner that if we find out that she continues to employ one of our students, then we will report her business to a federal bureau. I don't want to have to do that."

"Yeah. I got it."

"Alright. Have a good New Year's."

"Right." He immediately hung up. Motioning to leave, he said to Aoshi, "Let's get that drink."

* * *

Kaoru hugged each of her coworkers goodbye and gave them each a New Year's card. Even the seasonals. She reached her boss last. She felt so ashamed of being forced to quit. "I'm really sorry, Tae."

Tae held Kaoru's two hands. "I should be the one who's sorry! I really hate losing you."

"I'll never forget your kindness. All of you. This is really the best place to work. I'll come visit as much as I can."

"Please do. Drinks are always on the house. And if things ever change, you're welcome back here at any time, okay?"

Kaoru wanted to cry. "Thank you, Tae."

"Take this." She pressed an envelope in her hand. It was her last paycheck.

Kaoru bowed. "Thank you, Tae." She straightened. "Thank you, everyone. Let's all keep in touch. And happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!" they called back.

Kaoru waved as she walked out of the café. As she made her way to the subway station, she stopped at an intersection and opened the envelope. Tae had given her an extra two-hundred dollars. Now she cried.

"Kaoru!"

She looked up. There was Kenshin on the other side of the street. She waved a mittened hand at him. When the crosswalk sign changed, Kenshin made his way to her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, happy to see him.

"I got a call from the dean. I figured you would end around this time."

Kaoru looked down.

"I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could have done to prevent this."

She shook her head. "It's okay. It is what it is."

"Are you going home right now?"

"Yes. I have to get a few things finished."

"How about I make you some tea at my place, and then I'll take you home?"

"I'll take the tea, but I can take the train back home."

"I'll drive you back. Come on," he put his arm around her shoulder. "Let's get out of this cold."

They walked back to his apartment. Upon entering the grand lobby of The Augustine, Kenshin was greeted by the women at the front desk. "Good afternoon, Himura-san." He smiled and acknowledged them with a nod.

Kaoru looked up at him. "You must love living here."

He grinned. "It's alright."

They rode the elevator to the second highest floor. Kenshin unlocked his door and let Kaoru walk in first. She removed her outerwear, hanging it up on the coat rack by the door. Then she helped him out of his coat and hung it up. She made her way to the kitchen to boil some water. Kenshin immediately stopped her. "No no, just sit down and relax." He gently pushed her out of the kitchen. Rummaging through the drawers, he asked, "Green tea okay?"

Kaoru climbed onto the barstool facing him. "Green tea sounds lovely."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm pretty bummed out. But what can I do?"

Kenshin switched on his water boiler. "I was actually going to ask just that. What are you going to do? Sorry if this seems blunt, but I'm worried about you." He leaned both hands on the counter. "Can I lend you some money?"

Kaoru vehemently shook her head and hands. Borrowing money from others was not within her capacity. "No, no, no, no! It's okay! Please, don't worry. I have my savings, so that should hold me over until the end of the semester. When school ends, I can just go back to work," she said too optimistically.

"You saved up enough money for rent, bills, and food for the next six months?"

This was not a comfortable conversation for Kaoru, but she knew he only meant well. She had about $3000 saved. That was enough, right? "Yep."

Kenshin was not convinced; but he did not want to invade her privacy and hurt her pride. Grabbing both the tea cups, he served Kaoru tea while sitting next to her. She thanked him. For a moment he was silent. Then he put his hand on her knee and said, "I know what it can be like to worry about finances. I'm saying this as a friend who cares about you. You know I care about you right?"

"I know," she said softly.

"If you ever need help, any help at all, please don't hesitate to ask me."

"Okay."

"Promise me."

Then she remembered. "Well, I actually do have some back-up money. My mother has my college savings in her account. Ideally I don't want to touch it until I go to college, but if absolutely necessary, I have access to forty-thousand dollars."

Kenshin was rather impressed. "Your mother is amazing."

She beamed. "I know."

"Okay, well, my offer still stands. If you need help for anything, you don't have to be shy to ask."

"Yeah, but at what price?" she jibed. "You help me in exchange for what? What would I owe you?"

The redhead snorted. "What do you mean? You would me the money I leant you."

"Are you sure?"

He spoke into his cup. "With non-monetary interest, of course."

"Ah ha!"

"My dearest, nothing in this world is free." A sly smile began to form on his lips.

"Don't you think I already know it? So tell me. What price?"

"That depends entirely on the amount leant to you. I would say . . . fifty percent interest-"

"Fifty percent!"

"And for every dollar you owe me that many minutes of a massage."

"Nope."

He grinned. "Naked."

"Absolutely not!"

"I get to choose who will be naked."

"That is never going to happen."

Kenshin's voice lowered to a silky tone. "Never say never."

Kaoru tried to think of a comeback, but the look he was giving her made her stomach flip, and she couldn't quite make eye contact. "Um, okay." She downed the rest of her tea and casually walked around his living room. "Why don't you have any pictures?"

Kenshin shrugged. "I don't have that many. The ones I do have aren't really frame-worthy."

Her hands clasped behind her back. "That's too bad. You should have a few pictures of yourself."

"Kind of narcissistic, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I suppose so. But still. You should at least have a picture of you and a friend."

"If you're in it, I will put up a picture."

"Don't you have other friends?"

"They're ugly."

"Oh Kenshin," she admonished while smiling.

He then stood and joined her in the living room. "What are your plans for tomorrow?"

"I'm going to deliver cards. Maybe try to make mochi." She looked out the window overlooking the city.

With all the confidence he could muster, Kenshin asked, "Would you like to spend New Year's with me?"

Kaoru was surprised he asked. Surely he had more important people to spend his holiday with. But she loved spending time with him, and if he didn't want to be with her, he wouldn't have asked, so she said, "Yes."

* * *

**December 31**

Kaoru scrubbed her kitchen sink with fervor, matching the cheery rhythm of the song from her stereo. Kenshin would be picking her up at three o'clock, which gave her fifteen more minutes to finish cleaning her apartment. Everything else was done. Cards and gifts ready? Check. Laundry folded? Check. Bags packed? Check. Home clean? Almost. Just as she finished scrubbing, Kaoru heard a knock on the door. Puzzled, she looked through the peephole and then opened the door. "Kenshin!"

"Hey, sorry I'm early." The redhead stepped inside and took off his shoes.

"That's nothing to apologize for, but how did you get inside?" She spun in a circle, looking for a pair of house slippers that might fit his size. She usually only had females come over, so she only had multiples of her size. She just gave him a blue-striped pair.

Kenshin stepped into them, his heels completely hanging out. "Someone let me in."

Kaoru returned to the kitchen. "I'm just going to finish cleaning the sink and I'll be ready to go."

"Take your time," he offered. Since he had never been inside her apartment before, Kenshin decided to look around. It was a bachelor suite with tatami mat flooring, probably the same size – if not smaller – than his living room. Kaoru was apparently very efficient and organized. She made good use of the vertical space available to accommodate her belongings in such a tiny place. He noticed that she was not girly by any means, but she possessed a very feminine touch. In one corner of the room was a twin sized bed complete with white linens. A large white board hung on the adjacent wall, one half filled with pictures and notes and letters, the other half with dry-erase marker scribbles, most likely a task list. The opposite corner of the room had a bookshelf filled with books, baskets, colorful boxes and the like. Atop the bookshelf were some mementos and a few framed pictures. The largest was her parents' wedding picture. On either side of that one was a picture of her as a pre-teen with her mother at a park, and a picture of her as a child with her father in Hawaii. "You were chubby," he remarked with amusement.

"Yeah, my parents didn't really restrict me when it came to food. They pretty much let me eat anything I wanted."

"Well, you turned out alright in the end."

"Just alright," Kaoru joked. She finished rinsing the sink, put away her rubber gloves, and then turned off her stereo. She put her hands on her hips, gave the room one last scan before she said, "Okay! I'm ready to go!"

Kenshin picked up a duffel bag and back pack near the door. "Is this everything?"

"Yup."

"Why are you bringing so much?"

Kaoru slipped on her boots. "You'll see." She locked the door and followed Kenshin to his car. She thanked him when he opened the door for her, and he gently closed it once she was inside.

Settling into his seat, he asked, "Okay, where is the first stop?"

"Soujiro's house." She punched in the address into the GPS. "Is this weird?" she wondered aloud while he was driving.

"What? You hand-delivering all your cards or that I'm doing it with you?"

"That you're doing it with me."

"Probably." He flashed her a devilish grin. "Can't you tell I like walking on the wild side?"

"Yeah, with your Toyota Camry."

"Don't you know that most gang members own Camrys?"

"Kenshin, ninety percent of Japan owns Camrys."

"How could you not! They are so reliable!" He nuzzled his steering wheel.

"You're really living on the edge there."

"You think you're funny, don't you?" And before Kaoru could reply, Kenshin used his left hand* to attack her side with tickles.

"Gah!" Kaoru yelped while laughing. She tried to block or push away his hand, but he was too quick, tickling her belly, underarm, leg, neck. Her writhing and thrashing did not affect the control he had over the wheel.

"You have arrived at your destination." The GPS saved her from dying of laughter.

The car slowed to a stop. Kaoru grabbed her backpack. "I'll be right back." She ran to the mailbox and slipped in a small parcel. Returning to the car, she said, "Next stop: Misao's house!"

Four houses, two apartments, and one convenience store later, the pair returned to Kenshin's apartment. His place was immaculately cleaned. However, there wasn't a single New Year's decoration. Kaoru expected this. Unzipping the duffle bag, she produced a handmade wreath made of _shimekazari_, rope made from rice straws, decorated with a bitter orange, pine needles and cones, Japanese holly, a paper crane, silk orchids, and a mini paper fan.

"Wow, that's beautiful," Kenshin noted as he stood behind her. "Did you make that?"

"I did."

"You're the Asian Martha Stewart."

"Ha! It's a lot easier than it looks." She opened his front door. Turning her head side to side, she noticed that no other door bore any ornaments or decorations. Her mouth formed a small pout. "Maybe I shouldn't hang this up. Nobody else seems to have one."

"We are definitely hanging it up."

"But what if the building workers take it away? This is kind of like a hotel, isn't it?"

"Kind of, but don't worry. Nobody will throw it away. I'll call the front desk and let them know. Please hang it up. I've never had anyone hand-make me anything before."

Kaoru brightened. "Okay." She placed an adhesive hook on the top center of the door and hung the wreath.

Kenshin finished making the call and stood outside the hall with her to look at the wreath. He put one hand on his hip and the other around her. "It looks great, Kaoru. Thank you." He was about to kiss her hair. _Careful, Himura._ Instead, he gave her a slight squeeze and opened the door for her to go back inside.

"I have one more thing!" Kaoru said excitedly. Reaching once more into the duffle bag, she pulled out a plastic white cat with large eyes, red-filled ears, and an upright paw that rocked back and forth.

Kenshin frowned at the fake feline. "What is that?"

"_Maneki neko_. It's for good luck."

"It's staring at me."

"You don't think it's cute?" She held the cat up to her face so that only her blue eyes could be seen. Moving the paw in rhythm, she mimicked, "Nyao nyao."

The crimson haired man had to suppress the desire to suddenly grab her and kiss her smiling face. His arms crossed over his chest. "Alright, it can stay." He watched Kaoru place it next to his key bowl. "But it has to face the wall."

"Don't be silly," she said cheerily. She gently tapped the kitty on the nose. Reaching into her bag one last time, she takes out a small parcel wrapped in butcher paper and twine. "I'm sorry this is late. You were supposed to get this on Christmas, but you were sick and delirious that day, so I thought I should give it to you today."

Kenshin was surprised. "You got me something?"

"It's really not much." She passed him the gift. He proceeded to open it. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you anything nicer," she said genuinely.

Inside was a blue tube scarf, hand-knit and well made. "Hey, great! I don't even have a scarf. What perfect timing. This is really nice. It must have been expensive."

Bashful, she admitted, "Actually, I made it."

Kenshin did a double take. "You made this?"

She nodded.

"For me?"

Why not? "Of course."

"Kaoru, this is fantastic." Holding it close to his face, he studied the details of her craftsmanship. "You are amazing. You even ribbed it."

"You know what ribbed is?"

"Sadly, yes." The material is so soft. He rubbed the scarf against his cheek. "This is the best present I've ever received. Thank you."

She became shy from his compliment. "You're welcome."

"Kind of puts my gift to shame." Kenshin went to his bedroom and returned with a small and flat rectangular box complete with a bow. It was now Kaoru's turn to be surprised. "Great minds think alike."

She accepted the present with two hands. "Thank you, Kenshin." Bow removed, the embossing on the box read, 'Pandora'. "Oh my god, Kenshin, you got me a Pandora bracelet?"

He waved his hands in modesty. "Please don't expect that much! I only got you two charms. I didn't fill the whole thing."

Kaoru opened the lid. Inside was a silver bracelet with two dog charms: one white and one black. "Lisa and Gaspard!"

Pleased with her reaction, he clasped his hands behind his back. "Yeah. 'They're best friends and the need to be together.' That's what you said, right? At the Matsuri festival."

Her mouth was still open from shock. "When . . . how . . . I can't believe you remembered. I mean, it's not like they're just black and white dog charms, they're actually Lisa and Gaspard. Blue and red scarves and everything."

"Try it on." He plucked the bracelet out of the box and fastened it to her wrist. It fit perfectly.

"I didn't even know Pandora made Lisa and Gaspard charms."

He scratched the back of his head. "They don't. I had them custom made."

"What? You . . ." Kaoru really didn't know what to say. Him remembering. The cost of the bracelet and the charms. Having them custom made. Shipping them from another country. She was beyond touched. It was almost too much to accept. "Kenshin, I . . . wow."

"Do you like it?" he asked, uncertain of her reaction.

Sapphire eyes widened. "Like it? I love it! I just can't believe you remembered. This must have cost you a fortune. But more than that, this is such a special gift. You're so thoughtful. Now my gift seems like the sad one."

"Hey," he slipped the blue scarf she made over his head, then gently tugged on the red scarf she was wearing. "Like I said, great minds think alike." They shared another smile and their secret grew.

Then Kaoru saw Kenshin carry her bags to his room. "Wait. I'm sleeping on the couch."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Nope."

"Kenshin!" She stood in the bedroom doorway. "Then where are you sleeping?"

"On the couch."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"I really don't think it's a good idea that the owner of his own home can't sleep in his own bed."

"Right. This is _my_ home, so I get to say who sleeps where. And you're sleeping on the bed."

She leaned her black head against the door frame. "Well, your bed is so big, maybe we can both sleep on it."

Kenshin froze in thought. Within one second he imagined what she would be like in bed._ His _bed. He shook his head. "No. You're sleeping on the bed. I'm sleeping on the couch. That is that."

"But-"

"No buts. Come, let's prepare dinner."

Together they prepared a modest feast of sashimi, soup, tempura, and of course, soba noodles. The long noodles symbolized a long life. There was something more joyful about cooking with a friend. They both felt content and happy, even during moments of silence. Kaoru set the table while Kenshin arranged the food onto dishes. "Turn on some music," he suggested.

"Sure," she chimed.

"You can turn on the TV and browse the music channels."

Kaoru walked up to the wide plasma screen and sought the remote control. She figured out how to turn on the TV, then was amazed at the picture quality. "Wow."

"Try channel four hundred. I think that's where the music channels start."

She did as told and began to flip through the channels. Ah! Beethoven's Ninth Symphony! A classic for New Year's. Setting down the remote, she returned to the table. "Wow!"

Kenshin had set the food on the table. It was a very impressive display. "Please," he motioned her to take a seat in the chair he pulled out.

"Thank you," she said as he tucked her chair in. "Kenshin, this looks amazing. I feel like I should take a picture."

He chuckled. "You can if you like, but don't forget to take some of the credit."

"If the food tastes good, then I will." She used her cellphone to take a picture of their meal. Her phone returned to her pocket. They put their hands together and said, "_Itadakimasu_!" Kaoru took her first bite. Sapphire eyes widened. "Mmm!"

Kenshin smiled. He loved watching her eat. "Good?"

"Dee-licious! I really want to take some credit, but I know this was all you."

"Nonsense. We did it together."

She shook her head. "My food never tastes this good."

"Probably because you cook a lot healthier than I do. I tend to have a heavy hand when it comes to salt and oil."

"Well, we deserve to treat ourselves every once in a while."

"I'll drink to that."

"Oh!" That reminded her that their drinks had not yet been poured. She poured green tea into their cups. "Cheers!" They playfully clinked their tea cups and took a sip. "Time to 'fess up. Did you win the lottery? Do you have a second job? Are you a drug dealer?"

Kenshin laughed at her randomness. "What are you talking about?"

"No normal teacher can afford a place like this."

He shrugged. "I bought it ten or so years ago."

"Oh." Kaoru felt disappointed at the anticlimactic reason. "So you pretty much bought a condo. Like an investment."

Kenshin thought for a moment. "Sort of. Yeah. Prices back then were really low. I had enough for a down payment, so I thought it would be a good investment. Though I didn't move in until a year and a half ago."

"That's pretty smart. You rented it out to help pay for your mortgage, right?"

"That too. But I also wasn't living in Tokyo. I moved around a lot."

"I did too! Since my father was in the military, we had to move a lot. I'm sure I told you that already. Did you also work for the military?"

"More like the government."

"Oh, I see." A portion of the song increased in volume. "I hate to sound uncivilized, but I honestly think this music is the pits."

Kenshin threw his hands in the air. "Thank you! I thought I was the only one."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought you liked it because you chose it."

"Well, I mean, it is traditional sort of . . . Can I change it?"

"Please."

Kaoru got up from the table and changed the channel to jazz.

"Now this I can get used to," Kenshin commented when she sat back down. "Mm," he remembered something but his mouth was full of food. "Remind me to bring my camera to the shrine. We're going to take a bunch of pictures and decide which one will be framed."

"Kenshin, I wasn't really serious about that. You can decorate your place however you like."

"I said I would do it, so I'm going to do it. Remind me, okay?"

"No problem." She finished her last buttery slice of _hamachi_, yellowtail fish. Kenshin polished off his soba noodles and wiped his mouth with a linen napkin. They finished dinner and moved on to make mochi. They made different shapes with different fillings. Kenshin's mochis looked fit to be in a confectionary shop. Kaoru's mochis looked as though she made them in the dark. Blindfolded. With oven mittens.

Cleanup seemed more a game than a chore when they worked together. At least that was how Kenshin felt. It wasn't that he hated cleaning, but he never experienced that therapeutic feeling he heard others get once 'in the zone'. Yet with Kaoru, cleaning was much more fun. In fact, everything was more fun when she was around. Even when they weren't talking. Even now, as she was in the bedroom getting ready to go out, just knowing she was just in the other room made him feel at ease.

Thirty minutes later, Kaoru opened the door and stepped into the living room. "I'm ready," she declared.

Kenshin casually looked at her in acknowledgement, then back at the TV for about four milliseconds, then he gawked. Kaoru had changed into a royal blue kimono with a maroon lining, accentuating the creaminess of her skin. White butterflies of varying sizes were printed along the shoulder and skirt hem. Her obi, more neutral in its color but with an intricate pattern of florals, was tied in a simple bow behind her back. Her jetty hair was tied up in a simple bun, and she looked radiant. His throat suddenly felt very dry. "Wow," he whispered unconsciously. "You look . . . stunning."

"Thank you." She hoped he wouldn't over-compliment her. "The kimono is pretty, isn't it? It was my mother's. She taught me how wear it."

Kenshin had to stop himself from saying 'wow' again, like an ailing buffoon. He cleared his throat. "Your mother would be proud to see how beautifully her daughter wears it."

A blush rose to her cheeks. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah." He slipped into his wool coat and put on his new scarf. He watched Kaoru grab her red scarf and mittens that unfortunately did not match her traditional attire. But she put on no coat. "Aren't you going to be cold?"

"I'm wearing about fourteen layers. I'm sweating, and I'm pretty sure I can't bend my elbows."

He laughed. "Have you been to Meiji Shrine before?"

"Nope."

He tied her scarf on for her. "It's going to be crowded."

* * *

That was an understatement.

There were more people at Meiji Shrine than expected. Hundreds of thousands gathered to hear the monks ring an enormous bell 108 times before midnight. Food and drink vendors scattered the expansive shrine grounds, selling snacks and the popular _amazake_ drink. Kaoru was amazed. She couldn't recall being in an area so busy. Though the shrine was crowded, the atmosphere leant a more subdued calm rather than a buzzing excitement.

"Would you like some takoyaki?" Kenshin asked.

Kaoru thought for a moment. She really shouldn't be spending any more money. "I'm okay; but we can go get some if you want it."

"Sure. Let's go get some." He led the way to the vendors' tents, weaving his way through families and couples. He looked back every so often to make sure Kaoru was near. They would make eye contact and smile at each other. The walk would have been a lot faster if there weren't so many people; but being that it was New Year's, well, it was inevitable. They weren't even halfway there when Kenshin looked behind him again and saw that Kaoru had drifted farther away. She looked as though she lost sight of him, reaching on her tip toes and looking every which way.

Kaoru was about to reach for her cellphone, when her left hand was suddenly occupied. She looked to her left and there was Kenshin. He was holding her hand.

"I don't want to lose you," he explained. He continued to lead the way.

It felt very . . . normal . . . to be holding hands with him. As though they had done it before. As though they were meant to for the rest of their lives. . . Kaoru sighed. _Maybe he just sees me as a younger friend to take care of. Like a little sister. _Regardless, she enjoyed the feeling of her small mittened hand in his large leather gloved one.

They made their way to one of the takoyaki tents. While standing in line, Kaoru asked, "Do you hold all your friends' hands?"

Kenshin looked back. "Only my best friends."

"And how many best friends do you have?" she queried, hesitant to feel special.

He gave her a wink. "Just you."

She rolled her eyes.

They were next in line. "Hi, I'll have two takoyakis, please." He paid exact change and was given two skewers of piping hot takoyakis. He passed one to Kaoru.

She was surprised. "Oh, I'm okay."

"Just take it. I can only finish one."

"Kenshin, I-"

"Consider it an exchange for me sleeping on the couch."

Kaoru relented. She knew he liked it when she accepted rather than argued. "Alright. Thank you, Kenshin."

"You're welcome. Come on, let's take a picture with our food."

"Oh, okay."

Kenshin pulled out his digital camera and extended his arm. He put his other arm around Kaoru to bring her in close. Both holding up their takoyakis and looking at the lens, Kenshin said, "Smile!" He pressed the shutter button. "Alright," he stuffed the camera back in his pocket. "Let's get some amazake."

"Kenshin, I-" she couldn't finish her protest because he had already grabbed her hand and started dragging her through the crowds. He bought them both steaming cups of the sweet rice beverage, took another picture, then tried to get them as close to the bell as they could.

Using two hands, Kaoru sipped on her drink when they were stationary. "Ah," she cooed. "Delicious." It was so satisfying to drink something hot while being in the cold. "Can I see the pictures?" Kenshin pulled out his camera. The first picture was of their chins downward. The second picture was just Kenshin.

"I am terrible at this," Kenshin muttered to himself. He looked around, then addressed a woman in front of them. "Hello. Would you mind taking a picture of us?"

"Sure," she agreed politely.

Kenshin put down their drinks and stood beside Kaoru with his arms at his sides. At the last second, he decided to put his arm around her.

"Smile," the woman said. The flash went off, and Kenshin thanked her and retrieved the camera. "Your kimono is beautiful."

"Thank you," Kaoru smiled.

"You are a good-looking couple," she lastly said before returning to her family.

"Thank you," Kenshin said before Kaoru could object. He turned on the camera once more to see how the picture turned out. It was perfect. They both looked very happy. And they both were very happy.

The first strike of the bell sounded. Kaoru turned to Kenshin. "You know, I actually don't know why they ring the bell one hundred and eight times."

The history buff in him seeped out. "Buddhists believe that humans have one hundred and eight sins, and ringing this bell on New Year's cleanses those worldly desires."

"One hundred and eight sins? I don't think I can even think of that many bad things to do." She crossed her arms to keep herself warm. "Traditions are funny, aren't they?"

"I think we're lucky to have so many traditions. Helps to keep our culture grounded. Some countries barely have any traditions at all."

"Which one?"

"The U.S., for example. They have a party, do a countdown, watch a crystal ball drop, and kiss at midnight. Not very meaningful." He leaned in closer. "But I wouldn't mind that last part."

Kaoru shook her head. "Himura Kenshin, I'm going to call your bluff one day and you're going to be very embarrassed."

"Really?" He brought his lips close to hers. "I dare you."

It had been almost two months since their first and only kiss. She knew he wanted her back then, but now he was just teasing her. She willed herself not to back away. Her heart rate quickened. "I'm going to do it."

"Go ahead."

The feelings of that night began to rush back. There were butterflies in her stomach. "Y-you'll be sorry."

"I doubt it."

She lifted her head. Her eyes switched back and forth from his thin lips to his amethyst gaze. She leaned in. He didn't move. _Is he really going to let me kiss him in this public area?_ Her lips were millimeters away when she pulled back and bashfully covered her face. "I can't!"

Kenshin laughed an ominous laugh. "Never attempt to challenge the master." That was when someone roughly bumped into him, causing his drink to spill on his coat and pants.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" an old woman apologized.

"That's okay," Kenshin replied in earnest. Luckily, Kaoru stashed some napkins in her bag. She passed it to him.

"I have some napkins too," the older woman offered. "Honey? Do you have my bag?" she called to her husband.

He hobbled over and saw the mess. "Oh my! We're so sorry!"

"It's really okay," Kenshin laughed. "It warmed me up, if anything."

"I hope none got on your kimono," the woman worried.

"I'm totally fine," Kaoru consoled. "Thank you for the napkins."

Then they heard people say 'Happy New Year' to each other. Apparently they missed the last of the bell.

"You both are such a nice couple," the older woman noted. "Are you newlyweds?"

"No, we're just friends," Kaoru answered.

The old man nudged Kenshin with his elbow. "I would speed things up if I were you."

Kenshin laughed. "Believe me, sir, I'm trying."

"Happy New Year!" the older couple called out.

"Happy New Year!" said Kenshin.

"Happy New Year!" said Kaoru.

The younger pair looked at each other and laughed. The crowd began to dissipate and return to their homes. Kenshin and Kaoru did the same. They began the trek back to his car.

"Hey, Kenshin." Kaoru stopped. They were under a tree and they were alone. "It's past midnight."

"Yes, it is."

"Shall we celebrate the way Americans do?"

Kenshin could see her teasing smile through the sprinkle of moonlight. It was his turn to call her bluff. He stood almost toe-to-toe with her and smiled. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

She tilted her head up. "I dare you."

_Challenge accepted_. He took off a glove and cupped her face. Her skin was soft and cool against his calloused hand. His other hand reached around to the small of her back, bringing her closer to him. As he stared into her eyes, he believed that she actually wanted this. Perhaps as much as he did. He could feel her pulse racing. She closed her eyes. His lips hovered over hers, and then he gently released her and took a step back.

Kaoru opened her eyes and tried to recover from her disappointment. "Ha. You didn't want to do it either."

He shook his head. Very serious, he said, "I do. I really do want to kiss you."

Kaoru sounded confused. "Then . . . why?"

"I'm not going to fuck this up. I'm not going to risk losing you."

She couldn't see his face in the dark. She didn't know what to say.

His voice began to waver. Whether it was from adrenaline or from the cold, he wasn't sure. "Right now, you're the most important person to me." He was silent for a moment. "I can't lose you, Kaoru. I can't."

Kaoru was shocked to see him so vulnerable. She never thought he would show her this side. It was not an easy thing to do, to let one's guard down, and the respect she had for him increased ten-fold. She stepped forward and put her arms around his neck. "You won't lose me." Her cheek pressed against his. "We're best friends, remember?"

Her arms offered him a security he so badly needed. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and exhaled a sigh of relief. "Yeah. Best friends," he agreed.

They stayed in a close embrace for a few minutes. After a while, Kaoru pulled back slightly and smiled warmly at him. "Happy New Year."

He smiled back. "Happy New Year."

* * *

*In Japan, the driver's side is on the right.


	14. Chapter 14

**February 9**

Why did he listen to her? Why, oh why, oh why?

Here Kenshin was, sitting at a hip little French-themed café with overpriced food and drinks. It was the type of place with a lot of pretention, a majority of female patrons, and where celebrities might be spotted. Yet all those reasons were not the cause of his current state of misery. He was on a date. With a woman. Who was not Kaoru. What. The. Fuck.

Here is what happened:

* * *

_**Last Week**_

Kaoru stepped out of the car and sniffed the air. "Kenshin, this is it. This is where I'm supposed to be."

Confused, Kenshin sniffed around but could only smell snow and asphalt. "How do you know that?"

Kaoru closed her eyes and opened her arms. "I can feel it. My body feels it. My _soul_ feels it."

"Well, let's take a look around first before making any commitments." He tugged on her elbow to get her out of the parking lot.

The pair walked towards a group of buildings belonging to Tokyo University. A few weeks ago, Kaoru was over at Kenshin's and she mentioned university applications. She wasn't sure which school she wanted to apply to (especially considering each application cost around $50). Kenshin suggested that she visit the campuses. In fact, he volunteered to go with her. He may as well. Ever since the New Year, Kaoru and Kenshin spent at least one day of every weekend together. They would alternate between her place and his place. When they went to Kaoru's apartment, it usually involved her studying and him grading papers. When they went to Kenshin's apartment, it varied from working to watching a movie to playing games to simply hanging out. Cooking at either location was always involved. Kaoru's cooking skills were improving daily, thanks to the influence of the cooking club she joined. Kenshin acted a source of great encouragement to the novice chef by always having third or fourth helpings. Other times they would go out and explore the city. Luckily, they had many common interests. Museums were a yes. Art galleries were a no. Loud restaurants were a must. Fancy restaurants were a bust. Bookstores were great fun. Dance clubs, not so much. Kaoru loved movie theatres. Kenshin thought they were overpriced. But he loved kabuki theatre. Kaoru would rather punch herself in the face.

They reached the middle of the university campus. Around them were cement pathways surrounded by grass and a sprinkle of barren trees.

"Kenshin." Kaoru turned and looked at him with glittering eyes. "_Tadaima_."

Kenshin burst out laughing. Her overreaction and extreme feeling of belongingness to a place she was visiting for the first time was hilarious to him. He watched her run over to a tree.

"This is where I'm going to study when the weather is warm." She sat on a nearby bench. "This is where I will make my first friend outside of class." She pointed to a window on the fourth floor. "That's where I'm going to sit and wish I was somewhere else."

"I hope you don't do that in my class."

"It happens. Hey! Let's go look at the cafeteria!"

Off they went, and in perfect timing too for it was lunch time. This cafeteria had so much variety! Kaoru was in heaven. She held her tray and spun in circles, not knowing which line she should choose. Did she want American? Did she want sushi? Did she want sandwiches? Did she want Italian? She was actually asking herself these questions aloud, referring to herself in third person.

Kenshin ignored her odd behavior and stood in the sandwich line. While deciding between the roast beef or the ham, the girl in front of him said hello. He smiled and politely replied, "Hello."

She was the type who looked like she knew how to take care of herself and wanted others to know it too. Hair dyed a light ash brown, curled and voluminous; eyes large and wide with skilled eye makeup and extravagant false lashes; lacy skirt up to her mid-thigh with approximately four-inch heels. She looked like she just stepped out of an otaku's fantasy magazine. "I haven't seen you around before. What is your major?"

"Oh, I'm not a student here."

"Sorry, you must be a professor then?" Her voice was high and synthetically cute.

"No, I'm actually a teacher at a local high school. I'm just with a student who is interested in applying."

"I see. No wonder I didn't recognize you. I'm Mastumoto Sayuri."

"Himura Kenshin."

"Pleasure to meet you! I'm one of the admission counsellors. I try to remember every face." A soft pink blush surfaced her pale skin. "Yours wouldn't be easy to forget."

Kenshin awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, haha, this old thing?" He sought the room for Kaoru. She was still spinning.

"You look so young! I could have sworn you were at least a second year student."

Kenshin scanned her attire. "You look very young too."

"Thank you! I get that a lot. Guess how old I am."

The redhead put up his hands. "I better not. It's a lose-lose for me."

"C'mon! Just guess! How old do I look?"

He thought she looked thirty trying to be twenty. To be polite, he answered, "Seventeen."

She giggled behind her hand. "Nope! Guess again."

He really didn't want to. "I give up."

"Guess! Guess!"

"Thirty-five."

Her face darkened. "Not _that_ old. I'm twenty-seven."

"That's great!" he congratulated unnecessarily. _Can this line move any slower?_ Thankfully, it was her turn to order. Then it was his. He went for the roast beef. It was grilled and freshly made, cheese melting seductively onto the steaming meat. He decided it was worth the wait. "Well, it was nice meeting you."

"I can join you, if you like. I'm just on a lunch break."

"Actually, I'm going to wait for my student. I think she's still getting her food."

"I don't mind waiting with you."

_For Christ's sake_. "Please, enjoy your lunch. It would be a shame if your break was wasted because you had to wait, because I really don't know how long she's going to take and oh look, here she is," he trailed off in disappointment.

Kaoru came right up to them with a bowl of pasta on her tray. She looked like a kid on Christmas day. "I've never seen this kind of noodle before. It's twisted but it's hollow. How do they do it?"

"Ken-san," called the Lolita lookalike, "I'm going to sit at that table over there. Join me when you're ready." She scanned her employee card at the register and claimed her seat.

Kaoru's lips were pursed from trying not to smile. "Ken-san?"

"Stop it."

"Who is she?"

He stopped Kaoru from taking out her wallet and swiped his credit card. "Some admissions counsellor I was standing in line with. Do you think we can take our lunch to-go?"

She grabbed his arm. "Admissions counsellor? Kenshin, we have to eat with her."

"Why?" He actually whined.

"This could be my ticket to getting into this school. Please? Lunch is an hour tops. Just introduce me and I'll charm her socks off."

"Be careful not to tear all that lace. Ow!"

The pair made their way to the table. Kaoru motioned for him to sit across from her. His eyes widened to protest. Hers grew even larger. Sayuri lit up when Kenshin sat next to her.

"Uh, Matsumoto-san," he prayed he got her name right. "This is my student, Kamiya Kaoru. Kaoru-san, this is the admissions counsellor, Matsumoto Sayuri."

"It's great to meet you," Kaoru said with enthusiasm.

"Likewise," the older woman replied as though on auto-pilot.

Kaoru initiated conversation. "This is my first time visiting this campus, and I must say it is very impressive. You must be so proud to be working here."

"I am. And where do you work, Ken-san?"

"Please call me Himura-sensei."

Sayuri smiled and put a hand to her mouth. "Oops. I forgot that we're in front of your student. Which school do you teach at?"

"Azusa High."

"Wow! That's a really good school. We accept many applicants from there."

"Is that right? Well, Kaoru-san is a great student. Not just academically. She's also my aide and she is great with organization and time management."

"That's nice. What subject do you teach?"

"History; but even though Kaoru-san gets As in my class, she's even better with math and science. She hopes to be a teacher too."

"Probably because you're such a cool teacher," she winked with an open mouth.

Kenshin shook his head. "No, that's not it." He thought of her mother.

"No, that's not it," Kaoru repeated. She thought of him dancing to Britney Spears.

"She's also really good at sports," Kenshin continued. "Her gym teacher told me she can outrun all the boys."

"Really? You look like you run a lot."

"I'm actually not that great at running."

"Well, you look like you work out. I bet you have all sorts of muscles under here," she teasingly squeezed his bicep as he squirmed from her touch. "Do you host any clubs at your school?"

"Not yet. I'm still new to the school and there isn't a position available. But Kaoru-san is in the cooking club and I must say that her skills have increased exponentially."

Kaoru could care less about Kenshin's exorbitant accolades. She was having too much fun watching the dialogue in front of her. The counsellor was obviously smitten with the teacher, but he was just trying to get in a good word about his student. It was better than TV.

Kenshin realized his strategy wasn't working. He tried a different route. "You must be a great counsellor. I bet students love talking to you. You're so bubbly and . . . pink."

"Aw, Himura-sensei!"

"As a great counsellor, what would you say is the best way to get in to the school?"

"Well, a high GPA is a must, high entrance exam scores, of course, but we also look at extra-curricular activities and letters of recommendations. I'm personally not part of the final decision-making," she nudged him playfully, "but it doesn't hurt to know me." Another open-mouthed wink.

Kaoru finished her pasta. "Pardon me, but where can I find the restroom?"

Sayuri brightened at the idea of being left alone with the redhead. "It's just down that hall to your left, sweetie," She pointed in the general direction. "Take your time!" She turned to Kenshin when Kaoru disappeared. "My lunch is almost over. It's a shame I might not see you again." Her eyes enlarged to imitate a sad puppy.

"Oh. Your lunch is almost over?"

"I know, sad, right?" She scooted her chair closer. "I know entrance exams aren't until another month, but we do consider early applications and accept the scores later. I wouldn't be opposed to meeting you next week and taking an application of your prized pupil."

Kenshin didn't know this was possible. "Really? That would be amazing. We both would love the opportunity."

"As would I. That would give us another chance to have lunch together." She looked down, then looked back up at him with feigned timidity.

Kenshin could only blink, wide-eyed.

Sayuri took out a lipstick from her purse and scribbled something on a napkin. "That's my _personal_ number. Let me know if you want to . . . drop off an application for your student next week." She stood and gathered her tray.

Kaoru then returned. "Are you leaving already?"

"Unfortunately, I must return to work. It was nice meeting you, Kaori-chan. Bye, Ken-san – oh – Himura-sensei!"

Kenshin finished the last few bites of his sandwich. "Let's get out of here."

"Wait. What's this?" Kaoru picked up the napkin.

"Garbage."

"No, it's not. She gave you her number."

"Stop smiling."

"Did she mention something about early applications? She did, didn't she?"

"No."

"You are terrible at lying. You know that early applicants have a higher chance of getting accepted, right?"

Kenshin thought that if they walked quickly out of the cafeteria, she would forget the whole thing happened.

Kaoru ran after him, still holding the napkin. "Kenshin, please! This is my dream! My home! My desire!"

"It would be more convincing if you said those things about me."

"Please! Kenshin! Please!" she begged, rubbing her hands together. "Do this as my teacher. Do this as my friend. Do this as my _best_ friend. You know I would do it for you!"

Kenshin froze. "I really hope you don't."

One could almost see the light bulb appear over her head. "I will do the dishes for a month." Washing dishes was his least favorite chore.

"Nope."

"I will make cute bento lunches for one whole week!" She abhorred making cute lunches. He loved it that much more.

"Forget it."

"I will play with your hair for an entire movie!"

Kenshin thought about this. Kaoru rarely initiated physical intimacy. This offer could not be passed up. "Dishes for one month, bentos for two weeks, and the entire The Lord of the Rings trilogy."

"Dishes for two weeks, bentos for three days, and _one_ of the trilogy."

"Dishes for three weeks, bentos for five days, and the entire trilogy."

"Dishes for three weeks, bentos for three days, two of the trilogy, and I'll spend the night."

"Done!" Kenshin stuck out his hand to seal the deal. Kaoru had never slept over since New Year 's Eve, even though he asked her to countless times. He snickered as she shook his hand, imagining her doing the dishes as he ate an octopus-shaped hotdog that was sitting on top of panda rice. Ho ho, how she got the shorter end of the stick!

* * *

_**Present Day**_

Nope. He did.

Kenshin checked his phone for the fifth time that hour. Had only twenty minutes passed since they got to the restaurant? They had met at the university earlier. Matsumoto Sayuri looked extra dolled up with an even shorter skirt than last time. Apparently she felt no cold from the waist down. Her heels were unreasonably high for winter, and she held onto Kenshin's arm so as not to slip on the snow or ice (even though she got along perfectly prior to his arrival). She suggested lunch off-campus. She said she didn't have work today, so they could take their time. Kenshin had made sure she put the application in the right box before they left.

Boy, but could Sayuri talk. Kenshin amused himself by counting the number of seconds in between each breath she took. So far the record was thirty-one seconds. The monologue revolved entirely around her. Her life story, her opinions, her thoughts . . . she must have thought she was a very big deal. Kenshin wondered what Kaoru might be doing at this very moment. Probably eating lunch at home in front of her laptop watching animal videos on YouTube. He would bet anything that she was still in her pajamas. The temptation to confirm via text was very great; but he exercised self-control. Then he began to wonder why Kaoru was okay with him being on a date with another woman. Alright, sure, he and Kaoru were just friends. _Best_ friends. But couldn't she be at least a little bit jealous? Maybe her feelings for him became platonic. No, that couldn't be true. Otherwise, why would she spend so much time with him? Also, there were moments when he could still feel a spark. When she blushed at his compliments, when they shared a smile from being happy, when she would lean into him when he put his arm around her . . . he just needed to be patient for four more months and then she would be his.

He returned to his counting game. _Twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one – oh my god! – thirty-two! Thirty-three! Thirty-four!_ Then she inhaled. "Wow! You're amazing!" Kenshin practically shouted.

Startled, Sayuri recovered and blushed. "Thank you! It feels so good to know that you approve! You know, most people in Japan think it's slutty or weird, but pretty much everyone in America uses tampons, so I'm really not that strange!"

_. . . the hell?_ He felt like he stepped into a puddle that turned out to be a well.

"Anyways, as I was saying," she continued, "so when we go to Thailand, you won't have to miss out on seeing me in a bikini!"

Kenshin blinked. "Sorry, what? Who's going to Thailand?"

"My work is sending me for a conference in the spring and you get to come with me, silly! I can't wait to introduce you to all my coworkers." She scrunched her nose like a rabbit. "They're going to be so jealous!"

The server dropped the check off at their table. Sayuri looked at the bill, then at him, and smiled ever-so-sweetly. $52 for two drinks, his sandwich, and her salad that she only ate half of. If Kaoru were here, not only would she have finished the salad, but he probably would have needed to stop her from drinking the dressing. Kenshin begrudgingly pulled out his credit card and dropped it onto the bill holder.

Sayuri's eyes widened at the sound a certain 'clank'. "You have a Black Card?" This was an American Express Centurion Card made of black titanium awarded to those by invite-only. The Lolita was practically levitating. Her voice became impossibly higher. "I won the jackpot!"

After signing the receipt, Kenshin stood to leave. Sayuri followed. As they walked back to his car, she pulled him into a little boutique. Kenshin managed to find his way back out, but that only meant they went to the next one. Then the next one. At one point Kenshin looked in one of the mirrors at the store to see if any of his hairs turned white. After uncountable seconds, minutes, hours, he drove Sayuri back to the university parking lot where she left her car. He got out of the car to bid her a proper farewell. "Thanks again, Matsumoto-san, for helping out my student."

"The pleasure was all mine, and please, call me Sayuri!"

"Drive safely."

"When will I see you again?"

He felt like saying on his wedding day with Kaoru, but he thought that wouldn't be taken very well. "You have my number, right?"

"Yes! Speed dial number three!"

Kenshin didn't know what to say. "Alright then. Take care." He got in his car and drove to safety.

* * *

Kaoru waited in grand lobby of The Augustine. One of the workers offered her some green tea as she took a seat in one of the armchairs by the fireplace. At this point they knew Kaoru's face. Ella Fitzgerald crooned in the background while the setting sun provided an amber glow. The modern chandeliers looked even more golden than they usually were. She could hear other guests speaking softly in English as they passed through the lobby. Some spoke French. Quite a few spoke German. She wondered what her life would be like if she were from another country.

One of the elevators chimed and out Kenshin came. He walked straight to Kaoru.

"Hi Kenshin," she greeted warmly while still cupping her tea.

He looked very displeased. "You. Owe. Me."

"Were you able to submit my application?"

"I'm not talking to you." He grabbed her wrist and proceeded to the elevator.

Kaoru put down her cup as gently as possible. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"It was." Kenshin recounted the whole date as they prepared and ate dinner, not holding back any details. Kaoru was in perpetual laughter the entire time. After eating, he washed up first as she did the dishes (as promised. Kenshin made sure to leave his dirty dishes from breakfast this morning.). Then Kaoru washed up since she was going to sleepover. Kenshin had just finished making tea and set it on the coffee table, the first of The Lord of the Rings ready to play on his TV. He glanced at her and noticed something different. "Where is your bracelet?"

"Hm?" Kaoru touched her wrist. "It's in the bathroom. I don't wear it when I shower. I don't want it to get ruined."

"If you forget to wear it, even for one day, you're going to make me cry."

"Don't worry, I won't forget it." She forgot it.

Kaoru sat on one end of the couch, when Kenshin immediately laid his head in her lap. He picked up her hand and placed it on his head. "Start," he commanded out of justice. Her fingers were something magical. As soon as he felt the gentle tugging on his roots, his tension melted away. Barely paying attention to the movie, he said, "You know what was the worst? When I paid for the meal."

"Don't you think it's customary to pay on the first date?"

"I have no problems paying for someone who is grateful and appreciative. You, for example, have impeccable manners. You make sure my water is always full, even when the waiter forgets, you offer me to try your food-"

"Well that's not a fair comparison. We usually share."

"I don't care. You offer to pay, and you always say thank you. This woman just sat there expecting me to pay, smiling at me as though her looks equalled a sixty dollar lunch."

"Sixty dollars for lunch? I hope it came with a free appliance."

"Then she commented on my Black Card and tried to make me buy her things at the stores nearby."

"What's a Black Card?"

"My black American Express card."

"Why does the color matter?"

"It means I'm a millionaire."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Gates. Did you end up buying her anything?"

"Hell no. She made me carry her purse."

"Kenshin, what are you talking about? You offer to carry my purse all the time."

"Your _bag_ is brown and leather and small. Her _purse_ is pink with a big Chanel logo and could probably fit a dog."

"Well," Kaoru continued stroking his auburn hair, massaging his scalp with her fingertips every so often, "I'm very sorry you had to go through all that, especially because of me."

"_Only_ because of you."

"But I am very thankful that you did. You're the best." She bent over and kissed his temple.

The softness of her lips made him reconsider the degree of torture he had to bear. Now it all seemed worth it; but he didn't want to let her know that. He cleared his throat. "I deserve an extra week of bentos."

"We already shook on three days, not to mention that I already made you two."

Her fingers combing through his hair weakened his fighting spirit. "Fine. But for my last one there better be a whole zoo in my lunch box."

* * *

**February 10**

How did she burn through a little less than $1000 in one month? Rent, utilities, transit, cell phone, food . . . there really wasn't anything else she paid for. How was she going to stretch $2000 for the next five months? She had already joined the cooking club at the beginning of the year since she no longer had a job to go to. This allowed her access to a free meal every day. Perhaps she could get rid of her cell phone. That would save her $50 per month, totalling $300 by graduation. By March, the weather should improve, so she could start biking again and eliminate her transit pass. That would save her $70 per month, totalling $280. Maybe she should get a roommate and split the rent. That would mean she would only have to pay $250 per month, totalling $1250. She wasn't home for most of the day anyway. By graduation, she could save a total of $1830. That was a very appealing number to Kamiya Kaoru, so she began to implement her plan immediately. First up: post an ad for a roommate.

Kaoru sat in the middle of her apartment with her usual foldable floor table and laptop. While trying to think of ways to describe her closet of an apartment, there was a knock on the door. That was odd. Kenshin had just dropped her off an hour ago. She looked through the peephole but saw no one. Ha! Kenshin couldn't fool her twice. She would open the door and scare him instead. Kaoru suddenly threw the door wide open and yelled, "BOO! Gasp!"

A man stood before her door, casually dressed and looking very average. Behind him were two large men dressed in black from head to toe, including black gloves. "Hi, are you Kamiya Kaoru, daughter of Okaguchi Kayo?" His tone was very polite.

Kaoru's smile dissolved. "Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm Kiyosato Akira. These are my friends, Anji and Hyogo. It's very nice to meet you." He bowed. "I hope you don't mind, but my friends and I would prefer to talk inside rather than out here."

Kaoru tried to object, but the larger men forced their way in. The average-sized man gently ushered her back in to her apartment and locked the door. Fear washed over her. She suddenly took a deep breath to outlet a shrill scream, but she was stopped by the stranger's gloved hand.

"Please don't," he said, tone oddly gentle. "We really don't want to hurt you, please believe me. But if you do anything that would require us to protect ourselves, well, we won't hesitate."

It's not that she didn't want to fight. Her father had taught her two forms of martial art: judo and kendo. However, the most important lesson she learned was to avoid a fight altogether. If she was outnumbered, don't take the risk; and at this moment, she was outnumbered.

The room was silent. Only the sound of Kaoru breathing rapidly through her nostrils could be heard. She had to calm down.

"Can I let you go?" Akira asked when she seemed normal.

Kaoru nodded. Her body began to tremble from fear and adrenaline.

He removed his hand from her mouth. "I'm going to explain why we're here. I understand that this is frightening for you. Believe me, if someone came into my house uninvited, I would be upset too. I hope you can forgive us for the intrusion. It's really nothing personal. You see, we know your uncle, Okaguchi Keisuke, your mother's brother. He asked to borrow money from us. We didn't question why. He said he would pay us back by a certain time. We were kind enough to lend it to him."

Kaoru realized the men in her apartment were members of the yakuza.

"Now, you look like a very bright girl, Kamiya-san, so I'm sure you can guess that he did not pay us back. That wasn't a very nice thing to do. We have been looking for him for about three months now, and unfortunately we have to resort to family members to get some money back. We already made a visit to your aunt, and your mother, as you are well aware, passed away. That means you will have to share the burden."

It was difficult to keep her voice from shaking. "How m-much?"

"Well, your uncle owes us a principal of four hundred thousand dollars. There is interest on top of that, but our main goal is the principal."

A cold sweat broke out on her hands. "I don't have four hundred thousand dollars."

"That's absolutely fine. We don't expect you to pay off his entire debt. But we do unfortunately have to collect as much as you have."

The two large men began to search Kaoru's apartment for cash or any valuables.

"Please," Kaoru could feel her throat constrict. "I don't have that much. If you take everything, I can't pay for rent or food." Her eyes felt hot. _No!_ She would not cry.

Akira nodded somberly. "Yes, it's not a good situation for any one at this point. Kamiya-san, this really is just business. We don't want to put you out on the street. The best thing I can suggest is for you to find your uncle and get your money back. That will be difficult, though, because we are very good at finding people, and even we are having a hard time."

The men searching were very thorough. They checked every pocket and drawer, between pages of books, unscrewed the light switches, in the freezer, places Kaoru would have never even thought to hide anything. The larger of the men handed Akira her wallet.

Akira leafed through the cards and pulled out her bank card. "Now, Kamiya-san, I'm going to ask you go online and transfer your money to our account."

Kaoru did not move. She stared at the ground, tight-lipped and hands in fists.

"Please, Kamiya-san," his plead sounded so genuine. "Money is just money. You can always earn more later. I'm not sure how much you have, but no amount of money is worth getting hurt over." His threat was trace behind his concern; but it was still there. He brought over Kaoru's laptop. "Please."

Kaoru opened her laptop and went to her online bank account. She followed his verbal instructions of how to transfer her money to his account. Using his smartphone, the man confirmed that the transaction went through. Kaoru stared at her account balance: $0.00.

The two large men finished their sifting and lay out all valuables before Akira, including petty cash, her cell phone, jewelry and her kimono.

"No!" Kaoru tried to reach for the kimono but was held back by Anji. "That was my mother's. It's very special to me." She tried to win their compassion. "Please, let me keep it. She died of breast cancer. I was at the hospital when she died. Please! I must keep it!" She watched the large man open a ring box. "Those are my parents' wedding rings." She realized they meant to take them. "No, no, no! You can't take those from me. Both my parents passed away. I have nothing if I don't have those." She began to cry. "Please, please let me keep them! It was the last thing my mother gave to me. Please!" Her crying turned to weeping. Her throat became so raw she couldn't recognize her own voice. "Please! Please! Let me keep them!" She dropped to her knees, begging, "I won't sell them! I promise I won't sell them! I promise! I promise! It's all I have left of them. Don't take that away from me. I beg of you! Please!" She knelt to the ground, forehead touching the tatami mat. Her voice convulsed with her crying. "Please, Kiyosato-san. Have mercy on me! I beg of you. Let me keep my parents' wedding rings!" She wept and wept.

Akira motioned for the men to gather everything. He waited for Kaoru's sobs to subside. "Kamiya-san, I'm going to ask you to stand up for me." There was no movement for a few minutes. Kaoru had no life left in her. He repeated his request. She numbly stood, not bothering to wipe her face. "Please raise your arms to the side." She obeyed. Quickly and professionally, the calm man frisked her for any last sources of value. Her expression did not change. Satisfied that nothing was left, the man took a respectable step back. "Thank you, Kamiya-san, for your cooperation. When we leave here, I know you will call the police, and that's okay. You can even give them my name. With some luck, you might even be able to buy back your possessions from a pawn shop," he tried to add some hope to her situation. Her expression remained the same. He almost looked sorry. "Well, Kamiya-san, in the nicest way possible, I hope we never have to meet again." He followed the large men out the door. "I hope you have a better day." And they were gone.


	15. Chapter 15

**February 11**

Kaoru planned on being late to school this morning. She had to go to the bank.

Thank god Kaoru did not yet transfer her mother's money over to her own account. Then she would have been completely broke. But she feared the yakuza would come back if they somehow found out that she had more money. It was best if she took out a little bit of cash at a time, at least until she knew they wouldn't be coming back. The branch where Kamiya Kayo set up her bank account was a forty minute train ride from Azusa High. Kaoru walked into the bank feeling appropriately out of place with her uniform and back pack. They wouldn't deny her service just because she was skipping class, would they? Walking up to the next available teller, Kaoru asked to make a withdrawal.

"May I have your bank card, please?" asked the teller. Kaoru placed her mother's card on the counter. The teller inserted the card in a machine, then gestured to a pin pad device. "Please enter your pin number."

"I'm sorry, I don't know the number. This is my mother's account."

"Unfortunately, only the owner of the account may make deposits or withdrawals."

"My mother passed away two years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the teller condoled, "let me get you set up with an account manager and we'll see what we can do for you. Please follow me." The teller escorted Kaoru to an office. "Please wait here. Sagara Sozo will be with you in just a moment."

"Thank you." Kaoru took a seat in front of the desk. This wasn't exactly as smooth as she planned, but she came prepared with all the necessary documents.

A few moments later, a man in his late thirties walked into the office. "Hello, I'm Sagara Sozo."

"Kamiya Kaoru," she returned the greeting.

He took a seat. "What can I help you with today?"

She took a deep breath. "Well, I need to withdraw money from my mother's bank account, but she passed away two years ago."

"I see. Firstly, I'm sorry for your loss. That must not be easy and you look fairly young, which means your mother must have been young too. I do wish you and your family the best. Now, this does make things a little more complicated in the financial arena, but we can definitely work things out. The next question I need to ask is: Is this account is a trust?"

"No, I believe it is just a savings account."

"That's fine. In order for that money to be withdrawn, it needs to be proven that you are a direct blood relative to the account holder. I just need to see some documentation before we move forward. Do you have your official family registry certificate* and form of ID?"

"Yes." Kaoru pulled out a file folder from her back pack. She leafed through the documents and provided the certificate. Then she pulled out her student ID and passport.

Sozo verified the authenticity of the documents. "So there is no doubt that you are Kamiya Kayo's daughter. The only issue is that in this situation you would need to be a legal adult in order to make any withdrawals." He continued to look over the registry. "I see here that your father has also passed away, and you have no other siblings. This makes things rather difficult."

Kaoru did not like the sound of that. "What does that mean?"

The manager had a very grave expression. "Unfortunately, you won't be able to make any withdrawals until you turn twenty."

The room began to spin. This wasn't happening. "Um, so, I can't get any money?"

"I'm sorry, no."

"Not even a couple of hundred dollars?"

"Again, I am sorry."

"But," Kaoru tried to keep the panic down, "but, I need it. It was meant for me. My mother worked hard and saved that money for me. For my college tuition."

"Do you have a lawyer?"

"I have a family court representative," she offered instead.

"Has your mother has prepared a will?"

Kaoru shook her head. "She had breast cancer, but she didn't plan on passing so soon. They doctors told her she had an extra year to live."

"That's very tragic," he responded with sympathy. "I hate to say this, but until you become of legal age, I won't be able to do anything for you."

This couldn't be it. She wasn't going to be left with absolutely nothing. "Please, Sagara-san, I must have something. Even a little bit." It was very difficult for her to say, but she admitted in a whisper, "I'm having a very hard time."

The man felt terrible. It was obvious the girl before him was desperate. She was eighteen yet still in high school, which probably meant she wasn't allowed to work. The government would give her little to no financial support. He wanted to help her. But there really was nothing he could do legally. "Kamiya-san, my hands are tied. If the decision was solely up to me, you would be walking out of here with cash in your hand. But I have to go through the approval of two of my managers, and they won't easily overlook basic policies. I am truly sorry." He could see hope fade from her eyes.

Kaoru didn't move, couldn't move. This wasn't reality. This was a dream. Or a trick. Or a nightmare. Or a movie. She was so close yet so far. There was a noise. Oh, he was asking her something. She had to snap out of it. "I'm sorry?"

"Are you okay?"

Kaoru nodded. It was reactionary. Of course she was not okay; but she wasn't about to tell some random banker her life story. Even if he cared, there was nothing he could do. "Thank you, I'll be fine," she added thickly. Kaoru stood. "I appreciate you taking the time to explain everything to me." She gathered her things, stuffed them into her backpack, and headed for the door.

"Kamiya-san."

She turned.

"If anything changes in our policies, I'll contact you as soon as possible."

"That would be great." Kaoru returned to the desk to write down her phone number. Then she remembered that the yakuza had taken it. "Um, I don't have a phone at the moment, but this is my friend's number. Her name is Makimachi Misao. I'm with her all day during your business hours, so she would be the best person to contact if you want to reach me."

"Okay. I hope I will get in touch with you very soon."

"Thank you. I hope so too. Have a good day."

"You too. Have a good day, Kamiya-san," Sozo bid her. But she really couldn't.

* * *

**February 29**

"Thank you so much!" Kaoru bowed, half in her apartment, half out in the hallway. She had just sold her refrigerator, and not a moment too soon. Stepping back into her apartment, Kaoru felt the room was much smaller now that it was empty. Over the last few weeks, she was able to sell all her appliances, furniture, bicycle, some clothing, and a few other miscellaneous items. Ever since she moved from her house to this apartment, she had to purge so many of her childhood things. It was déjà vu for the eighteen year old, and like before, she refused to toss her family pictures. She kept only the bare essentials, fitting everything she needed in two suitcases and a duffel bag. Double checking that she had the envelope holding all of her $320, she proceeded to leave the premises.

Kaoru gave her apartment one last look before stepping out the door. This place had been home for the last two years. Ever since her mother passed away. Ever since the house had to be sold. This was where she slept her first night since moving to Tokyo. This was where she returned from work every day at Café Tae. She slept here, cried here, cooked here, studied here . . . it was her constant, her security. Now that had to be taken away. Now, she had nothing. Kaoru turned the key to lock the door when she heard the charms on her bracelet jingle. She smiled. She still had something.

* * *

"KA-OH-ROO!" Misao yelled in excitement from her doorway upon seeing her friend approach the house.

Kaoru was still at the corner of the street when she heard Misao shout her name. She watched Misao run out of the house in jeans and her step-father's university sweatshirt to greet her. The smaller friend threw her arms around the taller one.

"I'm so excited to have you sleepover! We're going to have so much fun!" She took one of Kaoru's luggage bags. "Come! My family is waiting for you! Kaoru, are you crying?"

"No, the cold is making my eyes water." But she did cry. It was overwhelming to have her feelings of destitution replaced by abundant love.

Misao's house was very standard for a middle-class family. The outside blended with the rest of the houses in the neighborhood, but the inside felt very much like an intimate home. Kaoru followed Misao inside. She took off her shoes, was given house slippers, and was taken to the living room where Misao's family waited.

"Hello!" Kaoru greeted and bowed. Misao's stepfather and grandfather were seated on the couch while Misao's mother stood.

"Kaoru-chan, come sit down," Misao's mother greeted warmly. "You must be cold from being outside." She helped Kaoru out of her coat and poured her a cup of tea. "Come sit in the _kotatsu_." This was a floor table with a built-in heated blanket. Kaoru and Misao slipped underneath the warm blanket. "How have you been, Kaoru-chan? It's been a couple of months since we last saw you."

"You're still ugly." This rude comment was from Misao's younger stepbrother, Yahiko. He sat by his father's feet, playing with a Nintendo DS.

"Yahiko!" Misao's mother snapped. In congruence, his father put his feet in Yahiko's face as punishment.

"Gross!" Yahiko tried to push away the members of offense. His father merely chuckled without letting up.

Now she snapped at her husband. "_Anata!_ Not in front of our guest! Oh, I give up." She threw up her hands and went to the kitchen.

"So, Kaoru-chan," addressed Misao's stepfather, finally leaving Yahiko alone, "your apartment has rats, eh?"

"Yes. It's pretty scary," Kaoru replied then immediately drank her tea to avoid more talk. She had fibbed to Misao that her entire apartment was being fumigated for vermin, and she needed a place to stay for one week.

"I remember when we had rats in our headquarters in Kyoto," interjected Misao's grandfather, her mother's father, Kashiwazaki Nenji. He referred to the early 1800s, which he claimed to have lived in a past life and remembered. His family hoped it was a form of Alzheimer's. "We did not mind them. Had no time to. Not during all the fighting."

"Yes, yes, _jiya_," Misao called her grandfather 'old man' from time to time, "we all know how hard life was during the Bakumatsu," she complied with jaded sarcasm.

"What do you know of the Bakumatsu?" her grandfather retorted in offense. "You were not even five years old at the time."

Misao gave Kaoru a see-what-I-have-to-go-through look since she knew she shouldn't roll her eyes. "Okay, well, Kaoru and I are going to go to my room and start studying." The National Center Test for University Admissions, a nation-wide entrance examination for those who planned on applying to college, was a month and a half away. On top of that, they were preparing for the _bunkasai_, the school's cultural festival, which was coming up at the end of the month. Misao grabbed Kaoru's luggage. "Hey, do you need all of this stuff?"

"I pretty much only need this one," she patted her black luggage, "and my duffel bag. This one," she referred to the grey luggage, "is just stuff for storage."

"Why did you bring all that?"

Kaoru had to think quickly. "These are things I didn't want to get ruined by the fumes. You know, pictures, etcetera. I tend to over worry."

"Well, fear not! We will put this trunk in my garage and I promise that it is safe from any kind of fumes. Unless Yahiko farts in there. Then I guarantee nothing."

* * *

**March 8**

Misao looked sad to see her friend go, even though they would see each other every day next week. "I wish you could stay longer," she said sadly.

"I do too," Kaoru replied in truth. Misao's family was more than hospitable. They treated her like an honored guest. Her mother packed her lunch every day along with her other children and made them tea and snacks while they were studying. Every night Kaoru joined the family for dinner. They were loud, boisterous, and very entertaining. It was obvious they were all close with each other and loved each other, in spite of their teasing and yelling. Kaoru really wanted to stay. Not just because she had nowhere else to go, but if felt good to be a part of Misao's family. Like sisters, Kaoru and Misao shared a room, studied together, talked past midnight, ganged up on Yahiko, and did each other's nails. At one point Kaoru wanted to tell Misao everything. That she liked Kenshin. That she was robbed by the yakuza. That she lied about having enough money. That she lied about being okay. As Kaoru stood in front of Misao, she thought, yes, I should tell her. And then what? Misao's family takes her in and provides for her? For four more months? No, she was not their responsibility. She refused to be a burden. She was impeding on their kindness and she had to go.

"Oh, this is for you." Misao reached behind her and produced a cloth parcel. "My mom packed you some food. She said we have too much leftovers." Misao didn't want to tell Kaoru her mother was concerned about her financial situation since she lost her part-time job.

Kaoru received the parcel. "Thank you, Misao. That's very kind of your mother. Please tell her thank you."

"Of course!"

"Oh, I should get my other luggage from your garage." How she was going to lug that around every day was going to be a challenge.

"You can leave your grey luggage here. If it's just storage, then you don't need to crowd up your apartment."

That was perfect. "Thank you, Misao! That actually would be really helpful. I can't thank you and your family enough. You're the best friend ever." Kaoru knew Kenshin would be jealous if he heard her say that. In fact, she was about to meet him in thirty minutes. She gave Misao one last hug. "I better get going. I have a lot of housework to do." It was a double-lie.

"Okay, have fun!" Misao waved from her doorway until Kaoru rounded the street corner.

Kaoru went to the nearby library where Kenshin would be picking her up. She had to find somewhere to go. Somewhere to stay. Somewhere cheap. Somewhere safe. She occupied one of the computers and did some research. She discovered that motels were far too expensive, even though they might be considered relatively cheap. Then she found out that some people stayed overnight in _sentos_, public bath houses; but that was around thirty dollars per night. Even that she couldn't afford. Wait! A brilliant notion popped into her head. Sanosuke and Soujiro said they once stayed overnight at an internet café to play a high tech computer game that their computers at home couldn't handle. They said they played the whole night for twenty-five dollars each. She did a search for the cheapest place. There was one that offered a private room and a shower for nineteen dollars per day. Hey! That wasn't bad at all. She just had to beware of the _otakus_ that practically lived there.

Kenshin arrived on time, which was more a necessity than a courtesy considering that Kaoru no longer had a cellphone and refused to let him pay for one. He got out of the car and put her bags in the trunk. "Did you have a good time at Misao's?" he asked as they buckled up.

"Yes, a great time," she beamed.

"I'm glad you got to be with your friend, but I still think you should have stayed at my place," Kenshin pouted.

"Don't be silly," Kaoru chided as she reached over to play with his hair. She knew that would instantly soothe him. "You got a haircut," she noticed.

"Just a trim. I'm trying to be more presentable."

"It looks good. Will you let me cut it next time?" she joked.

"If your hair cutting skills are anywhere near your knitting skills, then you can cut it every day." He meant it. It would be worth going bald if that meant she touched his hair on a daily basis.

It was easy for Kaoru to forget her stress when she was with Kenshin. A part of it had to do with the way he made her feel. Yes, she felt happier around him, but that wasn't the exact feeling she wanted to pin. She wasn't sure what it was, but it made her want to keep him happy too. She knew that his emotions were very dependent on hers. If she was happy, he was happier. If she was sad, he became upset. If she was angry, well, he would try to hide under the bed. She couldn't let him know that she was having a hard time.

"Is there something you feel like eating in particular? If not, I have a new place in mind."

These days, Kaoru did not feel comfortable with him spending money on her, especially when she would not be able to genuinely offer to pay. "Is it expensive?"

"Not really. It's a burger joint."

This made Kaoru feel better. Until she saw the restaurant. Yes, it was a casual place, but it was hip and modern and loud and not your typical burger joint. Instead of buns, ramen noodles sandwiched a Kobe beef patty. Average price for a burger cost $20. Normally her mouth would water at the sight of such a unique and appetizing meal, but she couldn't get past the price. She closed her menu. "I'll have a side salad."

Kenshin looked up from his menu. "Yeah? With which burger?"

"No burger. Just the salad."

Kenshin blinked. Then blinked again. This was not a Kaoru he knew. "Are you on a diet?"

"No!" She was almost offended at the idea.

He put his hand over hers. "You know you're perfect, right? I mean, your body is perfect. No, I mean, yes, I mean, you are perfect, and so is your body." Why did he keep sounding like a pervert? He sat back and took a deep breath. "What I meant to say was: you look fine the way you are. Don't change."

Kaoru smiled. "Thank you. I really do just want the salad."

Kenshin shrugged. "Okay." The server soon came to take their order. "She will have the salad and a Perrier," Kenshin ordered on her behalf, "and I will have the gyoza, miso ramen burger and shoyu ramen burger." He could feel Kaoru glare at him. "And a large Sapporo beer, please."

Kaoru shook her head when the waiter left the table. "I'm not going to eat a burger."

"You better not. They're both for me."

"You're going to finish two burgers?"

"Watch me."

Kenshin's beer came with a frosted mug while Kaoru's sparkling water came with a tall glass. She poured his beer like a pro. Moments later, the salad and gyoza were set on their table. "Itadakimasu," they said in unison.

"Mmm!" Kaoru closed her eyes with delight. Her salad was actually tasty, thanks to the miso dressing.

Kenshin ate a gyoza. He suddenly made a loud moan and flung himself against the back of the booth, his eyes rolled back in exaggerated ecstasy.

Kaoru kicked him underneath the table. "I'm not _that_ bad."

The redhead laughed. He picked up another gyoza and held it in front of her. She pretended to ignore him. He put it in her salad bowl. "Tell me about your week with Misao's family."

With much fondness, Kaoru described each of Misao's family members and how they interacted with each other. Without realizing, she ate the gyoza she meant to ignore. Kenshin refilled her bowl with two more. She continued with Misao's grandfather believing that he used to be a ninja in his past life, along with Misao. She even tried to be the leader of the clan; but the man who betrayed their clan eventually became the leader. Not only that, he and Misao got married. Crazy, right?

The ramen burgers arrived. They were massive. The ramen 'buns' were slightly chargrilled, leaving beautiful blacking markings. Kaoru nonchalantly wiped the corners of her mouth with her napkin, making sure that no drool escaped her lips. She watched Kenshin cut them in quarters, as though they were going to share like they usually would. "Are you cutting that for me?" she shyly asked.

"Nope. I just think it would be easier to eat this way." He picked up a shoyu piece first. A large bite was taken out of it. "Mmm . . ." He held up his hand and make an 'OK' sign.

"Is it good?"

He nodded, still chewing voraciously.

"What does it taste like?"

"Like how a burger was meant to taste." He took another bite.

Kaoru stared at the fried curly noodles sitting atop a thick, juicy patty. Was he teasing her, or was it truly that delicious?

Kenshin noticed her staring, so he came over on her side of the booth, forced her to move in, picked up another quarter, and took a large bite. He moaned loudly, this time leaning on Kaoru. "Oh man, what a burger."

Kaoru tried to push him away. She would not give in. Her salad was enough. Granted, she finished her salad ten minutes ago, but she felt satisfied from that and the gyoza. _Crap! _She ate the gyoza. Kenshin took another bite and swung his leg over hers. She shrieked. Public displays of gag-worthy affection embarrassed her to no end, and she tried to get away from him. She heard him say something about epic buns as he was practically sitting in her lap. "Okay! Okay! I give up! I'll have some burger!"

Kenshin moved back to his seat. A fiendish grin was on his face.

Kaoru pushed her pride to the side and helped herself to a miso piece. _Holy cow._ No pun intended. The burger was heavenly. She couldn't stop the, "Mmmm!" from escaping.

"I don't know why you try to fight me. You know I will always win."

Though she knew he was joking, Kaoru looked down in shame. "I just feel bad. You never let me pay."

"Kaoru, I promise when you make as much money as I do, I will let you pay. In fact, I will stop working altogether and you can just pamper me."

"Ha! Can you imagine? I'll have a big house and be the breadwinner while you do all the cooking and cleaning and shopping."

"Doesn't sound too farfetched to me."

Kenshin always had a way to make her feel better. She moved her foot so that it touched his. "You're a good friend."

"Just a good friend?"

"_Best_ friend."

Kenshin had hoped she would say future husband, but he supposed that would have sounded too farfetched. "Listen," he said more seriously. "I know it's hard for you to accept and receive things, good things, but you have to understand that people feel a lot better when their offer is received."

Kaoru sighed. "You're right."

"I know you're a strong and independent woman, and I love that about you. You're so different from other girls. But it would be great if you asked me for favors more often."

Kaoru smirked. "Like my Tokyo University admissions?"

Kenshin put up his hands in protection. "Please, no more dates." He felt better when he saw Kaoru smile. "Promise me, okay? I like being needed."

Kaoru's heart softened. "Alright. I promise I will ask you for more favors."

"Good. Now do me a favor and refill my beer, please."

* * *

"Bye, Kenshin! Goodnight!"

Kenshin had just dropped Kaoru off in front of her apartment. Of course she couldn't tell him she no longer lived here. It was a bit of an annoyance, but it was better than being humiliated if he found out she was a penniless beggar. Well, almost.

With her purse, duffel bag, and black luggage bag, Kaoru walked to the subway she used to get to school. She transferred to another line, passing Daikanyama, Kenshin's neighborhood. She continued north to get to Shinjuku where the internet café was said to be. Kaoru followed the directions she had written down while in the library. This part of the city was bright and busy. As she continued, she realized the buildings and stores started to look a little different than normal. Scantily clad women on posters and lit signs dominated the windows. Kaoru realized she was in Kabukicho, the red light district.

Her luggage growled against the sidewalk until she stopped in front the café. The sign looked old and worn out, the paint stained and peeling. It was completely unnoticeable compared to the other business on the street. She would have missed it if she wasn't careful enough. She walked in and was immediately offended by the cigarette smoke. Black painted walls leant a depressing gloom in the atmosphere. The internet café was not large by any means, yet it held about twenty or so private booths.

There was a man at the front desk, aged more than he really was. His hollow eyes looked at Kaoru, then her bag, and asked her how many days she wished to stay. Slightly surprised that he automatically assumed she would be using the facility for lodging rather than computer uses, she confirmed the cost per night. Nineteen dollars. Looking through the cash in her envelope, she only had enough for two weeks. That was if she planned on eating, which she did. Kaoru gave the man $266. He showed her which booth she would be residing in and gave her a key. He pointed to where the bathroom was and asked if she needed a pillow and blanket. Yes, please.

Kaoru entered the private booth. The walls of the booth were also black. A black chair with a black desk and a black computer filled half of the 4.5 by 8 foot space. She lay out her blanket on the floor as a bed and used her coat as blanket. The pillow was a shoddy one, so she had to fold it in half in order to get enough support. Kaoru quickly learned that this establishment was not the one geeks and otakus frequented to play games or do work. To the patrons here, this degraded space was their life. And now it was hers. For the first time in two years, Kaoru wished she could give up, escape, and be with her parents.

* * *

**March 21**

Kaoru was excited. Today was the first day of bunkasai. This day was meant only for students and staff. Anyone and everyone were welcome to participate for tomorrow since it would be a Saturday.

Class 3-A, Kenshin's homeroom, had an American theme for these two days. Since today was about selling food, the class had decorated their room Hollywood-style, complete with a red carpet and photography lights. The cuisine mimicked Pink's Hotdogs: high quality hot dogs with gourmet toppings. Of course, they could not have as extensive of a menu, but what they did have was impressive enough. Chili, cheese, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, and freshly diced tomatoes were displayed on a long table. Behind each condiment was a student dressed as a Hollywood icon. Soujiro was Clark Gable, complete with a thin moustache and slicked hair. Misao donned a blonde wig and white dress and was a convincing Marilyn Monroe. Kaoru was Audrey Hepburn, hair tied up in a high French twist, black gloves and fake pearls from the dollar store, and Misao's black dress. In spite of her weakened physical state from eating only one meal a day, and severe sleep deprivation, Kaoru looked gorgeous.

Last night, Kaoru slept over at Misao's house so that they could get ready together. Misao did Kaoru's hair, and Kaoru did Misao's makeup. A perfect team. They fussed and fixed and buffed and sprayed until they were absolutely satisfied with the outcome. They didn't mind waking up an extra hour early. Looking this good was worth it! They couldn't wait to see their classmates' reactions. How they would be shocked!

And shocked he was. When Kenshin saw Kaoru walk in this morning, he couldn't stop himself from staring. Luckily, everyone reacted the same way. Kaoru and Misao were surrounded by all the female classmates and were doled compliments and praises. An announcement to head to the auditorium was made. Students filed their way out the door. Kaoru stepped out last, Kenshin following closely behind.

"Thank you," she said softly as he held the door for her.

"You're . . . welcome." He originally wanted to say beautiful, but he suddenly became shy to say it. He noticed she wore his bracelet outside of the elbow-length glove.

Everyone went to the auditorium for the opening assembly. Principal Hiko announced the day's agenda. Then, one by one, homeroom representatives advertised their class activity. After the assembly, they returned to their homerooms and finished the last touches of preparation.

Class 3-A was quite busy from beginning to end. The first half of the day mainly consisted of picture taking. Nobody really wanted to eat a hot dog in the morning, but many wanted their photo taken with these celebrity lookalikes. Kenshin used his cellphone to take pictures of his students. Very much impressed with their efforts, he took group shots and several solo shots, asking them to pose as their character. Kaoru seemed to be popular with the boys, he observed. A line developed to take a picture with her. Kenshin grunted. _Like they have a chance with her._ When the line diminished, he decided it was an opportune time to get her photo. As he approached Kaoru, he felt unusually nervous. "Hey, Kaoru-san."

She turned and smiled. "How do I look?" she asked while imitating Audrey Hepburn's accent.

"Stay there," he directed, "Don't move." He snapped a picture with his phone.

"Himura-sensei, would you like me to take a picture for you?" a student behind him asked.

Kenshin looked at Kaoru, then student, then back at Kaoru. "Sure. That would be great." He passed his phone to the young man dressed as Fred Astaire. He stood next to Kaoru, his shoulder behind hers, with his hands at his sides. He quickly turned his head and whispered, "You look beautiful."

"Say cheese!" The student took the picture and gave the teacher back his phone.

Kaoru watched Kenshin walk over to other students to chat and take pictures. Another student from a different homeroom tapped Kaoru on the shoulder and asked to take a picture. "Sure," she happily complied.

* * *

The latter half of the day was coming to an end. Kenshin's homeroom was finally winding down in traffic. A few more students trickled in to see if there were any leftover hotdogs for sale. One of those students was Sanosuke.

"Hey guys!" he greeted his friends standing behind the long table. "Any food left?"

"Yes," Soujiro said. "We have about nine hot dogs left. Would you like one?"

"I really think you should," Misao advised.

"Ah, why not?" Sanosuke grinned and gave Soujiro four dollars. "Alright, what should I put on my dog?" He looked at the table but most of the condiments were gone. Just chili, cheese, and mustard. "Hey, hey, hey. I should get a discount."

"I can give you extra chili," Kaoru offered.

Sanosuke peered into the large pot. "Is it any good?"

"Yes! I helped make it," she said with great pride.

Sanosuke thought for a moment, then asked, "Have you ever imagined your parents having sex?"

Mortified, Kaoru shook her head and covered her eyes, as though that would shield what already passed through her mind. "What! No! Ew! Gross! Sano! Why would you say something like that?"

He put up a hand. "What you just felt right now . . . with that same intensity, that's how I feel when I have to eat your food."

Kaoru reached across the table and pinched his nipple.

"Ow! What the fuck!"

* * *

"Oh my god, I'm so tired!" Misao yawned as she stretched.

The yawn was contagious. "Me too," Kaoru tried to say.

The two friends just arrived back at Misao's house just before four o'clock. Thankfully there were no club meetings. They were more than ready to take off their clothes and makeup. Kaoru sat on the edge of Misao's bed slumped over, wishing there was a machine to wash up for her.

"Oh, I got a missed call," the smaller friend declared. She entered her voice mailbox, listened briefly, then passed the phone to Kaoru. "It's for you."

Kaoru looked at Misao in utter confusion. She took the phone and played the message from the beginning.

"Hi, this is Sagara Sozo from the Bank of Japan, Nakameguro branch calling for Kamiya Kaoru. I told Kamiya-san that I would contact her if there were any changes regarding early access to her mother's account. Good news: her mother's brother, Okaguchi Keisuke, came by the bank and is willing to make a withdrawal on her behalf. He was missing the proper documentation, but we made an appointment for him to come back this Monday at noon, and hopefully then we can get everything settled. Kamiya-san is welcome to attend the appointment, but her uncle said that she would be busy with school. In any case, I just wanted to let her know that things are looking up from this point and she has nothing to worry about. Have a good day."

Kaoru paled. She listened to the voice message again. "No, no, no, no."

"What's wrong?"

Kaoru grabbed her friend's arm. "Misao, can I use your phone?"

* * *

Kenshin stepped out of his apartment in a red _gi_ and white _hakama_. Sheathed sword in hand, he was about to go to the dojo for a workout when his cellphone rang. It was a number he didn't recognize. Maybe it was Kaoru. "Hello?"

"Kenshin, it's me, Kaoru." Her voice sounded odd, urgent. "I have a favor to ask."

_Finally!_ "Anything you want. Ask away."

"Will you marry me?"

* * *

*In Japan, families are registered in a certificate known as _koseki_.


End file.
